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BLACK 

BEAUTY 


ANNA SEWELL 


CHICAGO 


W. B. CONK BY COMPANY 




36118 






Lib»r/ of Congress 

Two Copies Received 

AUG 18 1900 

Copyright entry 

SECOND COPY. 


ORDER DIVISION, 

AUG 27 1900 


Copyright, 1900, by W. B. Conkey Company. 


68766 



BLACK BEAUTY. 

Part I. 


CHAPTER I. 

MY EARLY HOME. 

The first place that I can well remember 
was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of 
clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned 
over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at 
the deep end. Over the hedge on one side 
we looked into a plowed field, and on the 
other we looked over a gate at our master’s 
house, which stood by the roadside; at the 
top of the meadow was a grove of fir-trees, 
and at the bottom a running brook overhung 
by a steep bank. 

Whilst I was young, I lived upon my 
mother’s milk, as I could not eat grass. In 
the daytime I ran by her side, and at night I 
lay down close by her. When it was hot, we 
used to stand by the pond in the shade of the 
3 


4 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


trees, and when it was cold, we had a nice 
warm shed near the grove. 

As soon as I was old enough to eat grass, 
my mother used to go out to work in the 
daytime, and come back in the evening. 

There were six young colts in the meadow 
besides me; they were older than I was; 
some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. 
I used to run with them, and had great fun : 
we used to gallop all together round and 
round the field, as hard as we could go. 
Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they 
would frequently bite and kick as well as gal- 
lop. 

One day when there was a good deal of 
kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come 
to her, and then she said, — 

“I wish you to pay attention to what I am 
going to say to you. The colts who live here 
are very good colts, but they are cart-horse 
colts, and of course they have not learned 
manners. You have been well-bred and 
well-born ; your father has a great name in 
these parts, and your grandfather won the cup 
two years at the Newmarket races; your 
grandmother had the sweetest temper of any 
horse I ever knew, and I think you have 
never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


5 


grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad 
ways : do your work with a good will, lift your 
feet up well when you trot, and never bite or 
kick even in play. ’ ’ 

I have never forgotten my mother’s advice ; 
I knew she was a wise old horse, and our 
master thought a great deal of her. Her 
name was Duchess, but he often called her 
Pet. 

Our master was a good, kind man. He 
gave us good food, good lodging, and kind 
words ; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to 
his little children. We were all fond of him 
and my mother loved him very much. When 
she saw him at the gate, she would neigh with 
joy, and trot up to him. He would pat and 
stroke her and say, “Well, old Pet, and how 
is your little Darkie?’’ I was a dull black, so 
he called me Darkie ; then he would give me 
a piece of bread, which was very good, and 
sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. 
All the horses would come to him, but I think 
we were his favorites. My mother always 
took him to the town on a market-day in a 
light gig. 

There was a plowboy, Dick, who sometimes 
came into our field to pluck blackberries from 
the hedge. When he had eaten all he 


6 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


wanted, he would have, what he called, fun 
with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at 
them to make them gallop. We did not much 
mind him, for we could gallop off ; but some- 
times a stone would hit and hurt us. 

One day he was at this game, and did not 
know that the master was in the next field ; 
but he was there, watching what was going 
on; over the hedge he jumped in a snap, 
and catching Dick by the arm, he gave him 
such a box on the ear as made him roar with 
the pain and surprise. As soon as we saw the 
master, we trotted up nearer to see what went 
on. 

4 ‘Bad boy!” he said, “bad boy! to chase the 
colts. This is not the first time, nor the sec- 
ond, but it shall be the last. There — take 
your money and go home; I shall not want 
you on my farm again.” So we never saw 
Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who 
looked after the horses, was just as gentle as 
our master ; so we were well off. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


7 


CHAPTER II. 

THE HUNT. 

Before I was two years old, a circumstance 
happened which I have never forgotten. It 
was early in the spring ; there had been a lit- 
tle frost in the night, and a light mist still 
hung over the woods and meadows. I and 
the other colts were feeding at the lower part 
of the field when we heard, quite in the dis- 
tance, what sounded like the cry of dogs. 
The oldest of the colts raised his head, pricked 
his ears, and said, “There are the hounds!” 
and immediately cantered off, followed by the 
rest of us to the upper part of the field, where 
we could look over the hedge and see several 
fields beyond. My mother and an old riding 
horse of our master’s were also standing near, 
and seemed to know all about it. 

“They have found a hare,” said my mother, 
“and if they come this way we shall see the 
hunt. M 

And soon the dogs were all tearing down the 
field of young wheat next to ours. I never 


8 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


heard such a noise as they made. They did 
not bark, nor howl, nor whine, but kept on a 
“yo! yo, o, o! yo! yo, o, o!” at the top of 
their voices. After them came a number of 
men on horseback, some of them in green 
coats, all galloping as fast as they could. 
The old horses snorted and looked eagerly 
after them, and we young colts wanted to be 
galloping with them, but they were soon away 
into the fields lower down ; here it seemed as 
if they had come to a stand; the dogs left off 
barking, and ran about every way with their 
noses to the ground. 

“They have lost the scent,” said the old 
horse; “perhaps the hare will get off.” 

“What hare?” I said. 

“Oh, I don’t know what hare; like enough 
it way be one of our own hares out of the 
woods ; any hare they can find will do for the 
dogs an men to run after;” and before long 
the dogs began their “yo! yo, o, o!” again, 
and back they came all together at full speed, 
making straight for our meadow at the part 
where the high bank and hedge overhang the 
brook. 

“Now we shall see the hare,” said my 
mother ; and just then a hare wild with fright 
rushed by, and made for the woods. On came 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


9 


the dogs, they burst over the bank, leapt the 
stream, and came dashing across the field, fol- 
lowed by the huntsmen. Six or eight men 
leaped their horses clean over, close upon the 
dogs. The hare tried to get through the 
fence ; it was too thick, and she turned sharp 
round to make for the road, but it was too 
late, the dogs were upon her with their wild 
cries ; we heard one shriek, and that was the 
end of her. One of the huntsmen rode up and 
whipped off the dogs, who would soon have 
torn her to pieces. He held her up by the 
leg torn and bleeding, and all the gentlemen 
seemed well pleased. 

As for me, I was so astonished that I did 
not at first see what was going on by the 
brook ; but when I did look, there was a sad 
sight, two fine horses were down, one was 
struggling in the stream, and the other was 
groaning on the grass. One of the riders was 
getting out of the water covered with mud, 
the other lay quite still. 

“His neck is broke,” said my mother. 

“And serve him right, too,” said one of the 
colts. 

1 thought the same, but my mother did not 
join with us. 

“Well, no,” she said, “you must not say 

2 Black Beauty 


10 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


that; but though I am an old horse, and have 
seen and heard a great deal, I never yet could 
make out why men are so fond of this sport; 
they often hurt themselves, often spoil good 
horses, and tear up the fields, and all for a 
hare, or a fox, or a stag, that they could get 
more easily some other way; but we are only 
horses, and don’t know.” 

Whilst my mother was saying this, we stood 
and looked on. Many of the riders had gone 
to the young man ; but my master, who had 
been watching what was going on, was the 
first to raise him. His head fell back and his 
arms hung down, and every one looked very 
serious. There was no noise now ; even the 
dogs were quiet, and seemed to know that 
something was wrong. They carried him to 
our master’s house. I heard afterwards that 
it was young George Gordon, the Squire’s 
only son, a fine, tall young man, and the 
pride of his family. 

There was now riding off in all directions, 
to the doctor’s, to the farrier’s, and no doubt 
to Squire Gordon’s, to let him know about his 
son. When Mr. Bond, the farrier, came to 
look at the black horse that lay groaning on 
the grass, he felt him all over, and shook his 
head; one of his legs was broken. Then 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


11 


some one ran to our master’s house and came 
back with a gun; presently there was a loud 
bang and a dreadful shriek, and then all was 
still ; the black horse moved no more. 

My mother seemed much troubled; she said 
she had known that horse for years, and that 
his name was “Rob Roy;’’ he was a good 
horse, and there was no vice in him. She 
never would go to that part of the field after- 
wards. 

Not many days after, we heard the church- 
bell tolling for a long time; and looking over 
the gate, we saw a long strange black coach 
that was covered with black cloth and was 
drawn by black horses; after that came an- 
other and another and another, and all were 
black, while the bell kept tolling, tolling. 
They were carrying young Gordon to the 
churchyard to bury him. He would never 
ride again. What they did with Rob Roy I 
never knew; but ’twas all for one little hare. 


12 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER III. 

MY BREAKING IN. 

I was now beginning to grow handsome, my 
coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright 
black. I had one white foot, and a pretty 
white star on my forehead. I was thought 
very handsome ; my master would not sell me 
till I was four years old ; he said lads ought 
not to work like men, and colts ought not to 
work like horses till they were quite grown 
up. 

When I was four years old, Squire Gordon 
came to look at me. He examined my eyes, 
my mouth, and my legs; he felt them all 
down ; and then I had to walk and trot and 
gallop before him ; he seemed to like me, and 
said, “When he has been well broken in, he 
will do very well. ’ ’ My master said he would 
break me in himself, as he should not like me 
to be frightened or hurt, and he lost no time 
about it, for the next day he began. 

Every one may not know what breaking in 
is, therefore I will describe it. It means to 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


13 


teach a horse to wear a saddle and bridle, and 
to carry on his back a man, woman, or child; 
to go just the way they wish, and to go quietly. 
Besides this, he has to learn to wear a collar, 
a crupper, and a breeching, and to stand still 
whilst they are put on ; then to have a cart or 
a chaise fixed behind, so that he cannot walk or 
trot without dragging it after him; and he 
must go fast or slow, just as his driver wishes. 
He must never start at what he sees, nor speak 
to other horses, nor bite, nor kick, nor have 
any will of his own, but always do his master’s 
will, even though he may be very tired or 
hungry; but the worst of all is, when his har- 
ness is once on, he may neither jump for joy 
nor lie down for weariness. So you see this 
breaking in is a great thing. 

I had of course long been used to a halter 
and a headstall, and to be led about in the 
field and lanes quietly, but now I was to have 
a bit and bridle ; my master gave me some 
oats as usual, and after a good deal of coaxing 
he got the bit into my mouth, and the bridle 
fixed, but it was a nasty thing! Those who 
have never had a bit in their mouths cannot 
think how bad it feels ; a great piece of cold 
hard steel as thick as a man’s finger to be 
pushed into one’s mouth, between one’s teeth, 


14 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


and over one’s tongue, with the ends coming 
out at the corner of your mouth, and held 
fast there by straps over your head, under your 
throat, round your nose, and under your chin ; 
so that no way in the world can you get ride 
of the nasty hard thing ; it is very bad ! yes, 
very bad ! at least I thought so ; but I knew 
my mother always wore one when she went 
out, and all horses did when they were grown 
up: and so, what with the nice oats, and what 
with my master’s pats, kind words, and gentle 
ways, I got to wear my bit and bridle. 

Next came the saddle, but that was not half 
so bad; my master put it on my back very 
gently, whilst old Daniel held my head; he 
then made the girths fast under my body, pat- 
ting and talking to me all the time ; then I had 
a few oats, then a little leading about; and 
this he did every day till I began to look for 
the oats and the saddle. At length, one morn* 
-ing, my master got on my back and rode me 
round the meadow on the soft grass. It cer- 
tainly did feel queer ; but I must say I felt 
rather proud to carry my master, and as he 
continued to ride me a little every day, I soon 
became accustomed to it. 

The next unpleasant business was putting 
on the iron shoes ; that too was very hard at 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


15 


first. My master went with me to the smith’s 
forge, to see that I was not hurt or got any 
fright. The blacksmith took my feet in his 
hand, one after the other, and cut away some 
of the hoof. It did not pain me, so I stood still 
on three legs till he had done them all. Then 
he took a piece of iron the shape of my foot, 
and clapped it on, and drove some nails through 
the shoe quite into my hoof, so that the shoe 
was firmly on. My feet felt very stiff and 
heavy, but in time I got used to it. 

And now having got so far, my master went 
on to break me to harness; there were more 
new things to wear. First, a stiff heavy col- 
lar just on my neck, and a bridle with great 
side-pieces against my eyes called blinkers, 
and blinkers indeed they were, for I could not 
see on either side, but only straight in front 
of me ; next, there was a small saddle with a 
nasty stiff strap that went right under my tail; 
that was the crupper. I hated the crupper, — 
to have my long tail doubled up and poked 
through that strap was almost as bad as the 
bit. I never felt more like kicking, but of 
course I could not kick such a good master, 
and so in time I got used to everything, and 
could do my work as well as my mother. 

I must not forget to mention one part of my 


16 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


training, which I have always considered a 
very great advantage. My master sent me 
for a fortnight to a neighboring farmer’s who 
had a meadow which was skirted on one side 
by the railway. Here were some sheep and 
cows, and I was turned in amongst them. 

I shall never forget the first train that ran 
by. I was feeding quietly near the pales 
which separated the meadow from the railway, 
when I heard a strange sound at a distance, 
and before I knew whence it came, — with a 
rush and a clatter, and a puffing out of smoke, 
— a long back train of something flew by, and 
was gone almost before I could draw my 
breath. I turned and galloped to the further 
side of the meadow as fast as I could go, and 
there I stood snorting with astonishment and 
fear. In the course of the day many other 
trains went by, some more slowly ; these drew 
up at the station close by, and sometimes made 
an awful shriek and groan before they 
stopped. I thought it very dreadful, but the 
cows went on eating very quietly, and hardly 
raised their heads as the black, frightful 
thing came puffing and grinding past. 

For the first few days I could not feed in 
peace ; but as I found that this terrible creature 
never came into the field, or did me any harm, 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


17 


I began to disregard it, and very soon I cared 
as little about the passing of a train as the 
cows and sheep did. 

Since then I have seen many horses much 
alarmed and restive at the sight or sound of a 
steam engine; but, thanks to my good mas- 
ter’s care, I am as fearless at railway stations 
as in my own stable. 

Now if any one wants to break in a young 
horse well, that is the way. 

My master often drove me in double harness 
with my mother, because she was steady and 
could teach me how to go better than a 
strange horse. She told me the better I be- 
haved the better I should be treated, and that 
it was wisest always to do my best to please 
my master; “But,” said she, “there are a 
great many kind of men; there are good, 
thoughtful men like our master, that any horse 
may be proud to serve; and there are bad, 
cruel men, who never ought to have a horse or 
a dog to call their own. Besides, there are a 
great many foolish men, vain, ignorant, and 
careless, who never trouble themselves to 
think ; these spoil more horses than all, just for 
want of sense; they don’t mean it, but they 
do it for all that. I hope you will fall into 


18 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


good hands; but a horse never knows who 
may buy him, or who may drive him ; it is all a 
chance for us; but still I say, do your best 
wherever it is, and keep up your good name.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 




CHAPTER IV. 

BIRTWICK PARK. 

At this time I used to stand in the stable, 
and my coat was brushed every day till it 
shone like a rook’s wing. It was early in 
May, when there came a man from Squire 
Gordon’s, who took me away to the Hall. My 
master said, “Good-bye, Darkie; be a good 
horse, and always do your best.” I could not 
say “good-bye,” so I put my nose in his hand; 
he patted me kindly, and I left my first home. 
As I lived some years with Squire Gordon, I 
may as well tell something about the place. 

Squire Gordon’s par^ skirted the village of 
Birtwick. It was entered by a large iron gate, 
at which stood the first lodge, and then you 
trotted along on a smooth road between clumps 
of large old trees; then another lodge and 
another gate, which brought you to the house 
and the gardens. Beyond this lay the home 
paddock, the old orchard, and the stable.,. 
There was accommodation for many horses 
and carriages; but I need only describe the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


stable into which I was taken; this was very 
roomy, with four good stalls; a large swinging 
Window opened into the yard, which made it 
pleasant and airy. 

The first stall was a large square one, shut 
in behind with a wooden gate ; the others were 
common stalls, good stalls, but not nearly as 
large ; it had a low rack for hay and a low man- 
ger for corn ; it was called a loose box, because 
the horse that was put into it was not tied up, 
but left loose, to do as he liked. It is a great 
thing to have a loose box. 

Into this fine box the groom put me ; it was 
clean, sweet, and airy. I never was in a bet- 
ter box than that, and the sides were not so 
high but that I could see all that went on 
through the iron rails that were at the top. 

He gave me some very nice oats, he patted 
me, spoke kindly, and then went away. 

When I had eaten my oats, I looked round. 
In the stall next to mine stood a little fat gray 
pony, with a thick mane and tail, a very pretty 
head, and a pert little nose. 

I put my head up to the iron rails at the top 
of my box, and said, “How do you do? What 
is your name?’’ 

He turned round as far as his halter would 
allow, held up his head, and said, “My name is 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


21 


Merrylegs. I am very handsome. I carry the 
young ladies on my back, and sometimes I 
take our mistress out in the low chaise. They 
think a great deal of me, and so does James. 
Are you going to live next door to me in the 
box?” 

I said, “Yes." 

“Well, then,” he said, “I hope you are good- 
tempered; I do not like any one next door 
who bites. ’ ’ 

Just then a horse’s head looked over from 
the stall beyond ; the ears were laid back, and 
the eye looked rather ill-tempered. This was 
a tall chestnut mare, with a long handsome 
neck ; she looked across to me and said, 

“So it is you have turned me out of my box; 
it is a very strange thing for a colt like you to 
come and turn a lady out of her own home.” 

“I beg your pardon,” I said, “I have turned 
no one out ; the man who brought me put me 
here, and I had nothing to do with it; and as 
to my being a colt, I am turned four years old ? 
and am a grown-up horse. I never had words 
yet with horse or mare, and it is my wish to 
live at peace. ” 

“Well,” she said, “we shall see; of course, 
I do not want to have words with a young 
thing like you. ’ ’ 


22 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


I said no more. 

In the afternoon, when she went out, Merry- 
legs told me all about it. 

“The thing is this, ” said Merrylegs: “Gin- 
ger has a habit of biting and snapping ; that is 
why they call her Ginger, and when she was 
in the loose box, she used to snap very much. 
One day she bit James in the arm and made it 
bleed, and so Miss Flora and Miss Jessie, who 
are very fond of me, were afraid to come into 
the stable. They used to bring me nice things 
to eat, an apple, or a carrot, or a piece of bread, 
but after Ginger stood in that box, they dared 
not come, and I missed them very much. I 
hope they will now come again, if you do not 
bite or snap.” 

I told him I never bit anything but grass, 
hay, and corn, and could not think what pleas- 
ure Ginger found it. 

“Well, I don’t think she does find pleasure, “ 
says Merrylegs; “it is just a bad habit; she 
says no one was ever kind to her, and why 
should she not bite? Of course, it is a very 
bad habit; but I am sure, if all she says be 
true, she must have been very ill-used before 
she came here. John does all he can to please 
her, and James does all he can, and our mas- 
ter never uses a whip if a horse acts right ; so 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


23 


I think she might be good-tempered here ; you 
see,” he said, with a wise look, “I am twelve 
years old ; I know a great deal, and I can tell 
you there is not a better place for a horse all 
round the country than this. John is the best 
groom that ever was ; he has been here four- 
teen years ; and you never saw such a kind boy 
as James is, so that it is all Ginger’s own fault 
that she did not stay in that box.” 


24 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER V. 

A FAIR START. 

The name of the coachman was John Manly; 
he had a wife and one little child, and they 
lived in the coachman’s cottage, very near the 
stables. 

The next morning he took me into the yard 
and gave me a good grooming, and just as I 
was going into my box, with my coat soft and 
bright, the Squire came in to look at me, and 
seemed pleased. “John,” he said, “I meant 
to have tried the new horse this morning, but 
I have other business. You may as well take 
him around after breakfast ; go by the common 
and the Highwood, and back by the water-mill 
and the river; that will show his paces.” 

“I will, sir,” said John. After breakfast he 
came and fitted me with a bridle. He was 
very particular in letting out and taking in the 
straps, to fit my head comfortably; then he 
brought a saddle, but it was not broad enough 
for my back ; he saw it in a minute, and went 
for another, which fitted nicely. He rode me 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


25 


first slowly, then a trot, than a canter, and 
when we were on the common, he gave me a 
light touch with his whip, and we had a splen- 
did gallop. 

“Ho, ho! my boy, ” he said, as he pulled me 
up, “you would like to follow the hounds, I 
think.” 

As we came back through the park we met 
the Squire and Mrs. Gordon walking; they 
stopped, and John jumped off. 

“Well, John, how does he go?” 

“First rate, sir,” answered John; “he is as 
fleet as a deer, and has a fine spirit, too ; but 
the lightest touch of the rein will guide him. 
Down at the end of the common we met one of 
those traveling carts hung all over with bas- 
kets, rugs, and such like ; you know, sir, many 
horses will not pass those carts quietly; he 
just took a good look at it, and then went on 
as quiet and pleasant as could be. They were 
shooting rabbits near the Highwood, and a gun 
went off close by; he pulled up a little and 
looked, but did not stir a step to right or left. 
I just held the rein steady and did not hurry 
him, and it’s my opinion he has not been 
frightened or ill-used while he was young.” 

“That’s well,” said the Squire, “I will try 
him myself to-morrow.” 


26 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


The next day I was brought up for my mas- 
ter. I remembered my mother’s counsel and 
my good old master’s, and I tried to do exactly 
what he wanted me to do. I found he was a 
very good rider, and thoughtful for his horse, 
too. When he came home, the lady was at the 
hall door as he rode up. 

“Well, my dear,” she said, “how do you like 
him?” 

“He is exactly what John said,’’ he replied; 
“a pleasanter creature I never wish to mount. 
What shall we call him?” 

“Would you like ‘Ebony’?’’ said she; “he is 
as black as ebony. ’ ’ 

“No, not Ebony. ’’ 

“Will you call him ‘Blackbird,’ like your 
■uncle’s old horse?’’ 

“No, he is far handsomer than old Blackbird 
ever was.” 

“Yes,’’ she said, “he is really quite a beauty, 
and he has such a sweet, good-tempered face 
and such a fine intelligent eye — what do you 
say to calling him ‘Black Beauty’?” 

“Black Beauty — why, yes, I think that is a 
very good name. If you like, it shall be his 
name;” and so it was. 

When John went into the stable, he told 
James that the master and mistress had chosen 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


27 


a good sensible English name for me, that 
meant something; not like Marengo, or 
Pegasus, or Abdallah. They both laughed, 
and James said, “If it was not for bringing 
back the past, I should have named him ‘Rob 
Roy,’ for I never saw two horses more alike.” 

“That’s no wonder, ” said John; “didn’t you 
know that farmer Gray’s old Duchess was the 
mother of them both?” 

I had never heard that before ; and so poor 
Rob Roy who was killed at that hunt was my 
brother! I did not wonder that my mother 
was so troubled. It seems that horses have no 
relations; at least they never know each other 
after they are sold. 

John seemed very proud of me; he used to 
make my mane and tail almost as smooth as a 
lady’s hair, and he would talk to me a great 
deal; of course, I did not understand all he 
said, but I learned more and more to know 
what he meant, and what he wanted me to do. 
I grew very fond of him, he was so gentle 
and kind; he seemed to know just how a horse 
feels, and when he cleaned me he knew the 
tender places and the ticklish places; when he 
brushed my head, he went as carefully over 
my eyes as if they were his own, and never 
stirred up any ill-temper. 


28 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


James Howard, the stable boy, was just as 
gentle and pleasant in his way, so I thought 
myself w T ell off. There was another man who 
helped in the yard, but he had very little to do 
with Ginger and me. 

A few days after this I had to go out with 
Ginger in the carriage. I wondered how we 
should get on together; but except laying her 
oars back when I was led up to her, she be- 
haved very well. She did her work honestly, 
and did her full share, and I never wish to have 
a better partner in double harness. When we 
came to a hill, instead of slackening her pace, 
she would throw her weight right into the col- 
lar, and pull away straight up. We had both 
the same sort of courage at our work, and John 
had oftener to hold us in than to urge us for- 
ward ; he never had to use the whip with either 
of us; then our paces were much the same, and 
I found it very easy to keep step with her when 
trotting, which made it pleasant, and master 
always liked it when we kept step well, and so 
did John. After we had been out two or three 
times together we grew quite friendly and 
sociable, which made me feel very much at 
home. 

As for Merrylegs, he and I soon became 
great friends; he was such a cheerful, plucky, 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


29 


good-tempered little fellow, that he was a fav- 
orite with every one, and especially with Miss 
Jessie and Flora, who used to ride him about 
in the orchard, and have fine games with him 
and their little dog Frisky. 

Our master had two other horses that stood 
in another stable. One was Justice, a roan 
cob, used for riding, or for the luggage cart ; 
the other was an old brown hunter, named Sir 
Oliver ; he was past work now, but was a great 
favorite with the master, who gave him the 
run of the park ; he sometimes did a little light 
carting on the estate ; or carried one of the 
young ladies when they rode out with their 
father; for he was very gentle, and could be 
trusted with a child as well as Merrylegs. The 
cob was a strong, well-made, good-tempered 
horse, and we sometimes had a little chat in 
the paddock, but, of course, I could not be so 
intimate with him as with Ginger, who stood 
in the same stable. 


30 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER VI. 

LIBERTY. 

I was quite happy in my new place, and if 
there was one thing I missed, it must not be 
thought I was discontented ; all who had to do 
with me were good, and I had a light airy sta- 
ble and the best of food. What more could I 
want? Why, liberty! For three years and a 
half of my life I had had all the liberty I could 
wish for; but now, week after week, month 
after month, and no doubt year after year, 

I must stand up in a stable night and day ex- 
cept when I am wanted, and then I must be 
just as steady and quiet as any old horse who 
has worked twenty years. Straps here and 
straps there, a bit in my mouth, and blinkers 
over my eyes. Now I am not complaining, for 
I know it must be so, I only mean to say that 
for a young horse full of strength and spirits, 
who has been used to some large field or plain, 
where he can fling up his head, and toss up his 
tail and gallop away at full speed, then round 
and back again with a snort to his companions 
— I say it is hard never to have a bit more lib- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


31 


erty to do as you like. Sometimes, when I 
have had less exercise than usual, I have felt 
so full of life and spring, that when John has 
taken me out to exercise, I really could not 
keep quiet; do what I would, it seemed as if I 
must jump, or dance, or prance, and many a 
good shake I know I must have given him, 
especially at the first ; but he was always good 
and patient. 

“Steady, steady, my boy,” he would say; 
“wait a bit, and we’ll have a good swing, and 
soon get the tickle out of your feet.” Then, 
as soon as we were out of the village, he would 
give me a few miles at a spanking trot, and then 
bring me back as fresh as before, only clear of 
the fidgets, as he called them. Spirited horses, 
when not enough exercised, are often called 
skittish, when it is only play ; and some grooms 
will punish them, but our John did not: he 
knew it was only high spirits. Still, he had 
his own ways of making me understand by the 
tone of his voice or the touch of the rein. If 
he was very serious and quite determined, I 
always knew it by his voice, and that had more 
power with me than anything else, for I was 
very fond of him. 

I ought to say that sometimes we had our 
liberty for a few hours; this used to be on fine 


32 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Sundays in the summer-time. The carriages 
never went out on Sundays, because the 
church was not far off. 

It was a great treat to us to be turned out 
into the home paddock or the old orchard ; the 
grass was so cool and soft to our feet, the air 
so sweet, and the freedom to do as we liked 
was so pleasant — to gallop, to lie down, and 
roll over on our backs, or to nimble the sweet 
grass. Then it was a very good time for talk- 
ing, as we stood together under the shade of 
the large chestnut-tree. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


33 


CHAPTER VII. 

GINGER. 

One day when Ginger and I were standing 
alone in the shade, we had a great deal of 
talk ; she wanted to know all about my bring- 
ing up and breaking in, and I told her. 

“Well,” said she, “if I had had your bring- 
ing up, I might have had as good a temper as 
. you, but now I don’t believe I ever shall. ” 

“Why not?” I said. 

“Because it has all been so different with 
me, ’ ’ she replied. ‘ 4 1 never had any one, horse 
or man, that was kind to me, or that I cared to 
please, for in the first place I was taken from 
my mother as soon as I was weaned, and put 
with a lot of other young colts ; none of them 
cared for me, and I cared for none of them. 
There was no kind master like yours to look 
after me, and talk to me, and bring me nice 
things to eat. The man that had care of us 
never gave me a kind word in my life. I do 
not mean that he ill-used me, but he did not 
care for us one bit further than to see that we 

3 Black Beanty 


34 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


had plenty to eat, and shelter in the winter. 
A footpath ran through our field, and very 
often the great boys passing through would 
fling stones to make us gallop. I was never 
hit, but one fine young colt was badly cut in 
the face, and I should think it would be a scar 
for life. We did not care for them, but of 
course it made us more wild, and we settled it in 
our minds that boys were our enemies. We 
had very good fun in the free meadows, gallop- 
ing up and down and chasing each other round 
and round the field ; then standing still under 
the shade of the trees. But when it came to 
breaking in, that was a bad time for me ; sev- 
eral men came to catch me, and when at last 
they closed me in at one corner of the field, one 
caught me by the forelock, another caught me 
by the nose and held it so tight I could hardly 
draw my breath ; then another took my under- 
jaw in his hard hand and wrenched my mouth 
open, and so by force they got on the halter and 
the bar into my mouth ; then one dragged me 
along by the halter, another flogging behind, 
and this was the first experience I had of men’s 
kindness, it was all force. They did not give 
me a chance to know what they wanted. I 
was high-bred and had a great deal of spirit, 
and was very wild, no doubt, and gave them, 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


35 


I dare say, plenty of trouble, but then it was 
dreadful to be shut up in a stall day after day 
instead of having my liberty, and I fretted and 
pined and wanted to get loose. You know 
yourself it’s bad enough when you have a kind 
master and plenty of coaxing, but there was 
nothing of that sort for me. 

“There was one — the old master, Mr. Ryder 
— who, I think, could soon have brought me 
round, and could have done anything with me ; 
but he had given up all the hard part of the 
trade to his son and to another experienced 
man, and he only came at times to oversee. 
His son was a strong, tall, bold man; they 
called him Samson, and he used to boast that 
he had never found a horse that could throw 
him. There was no gentleness in him, as there 
was in his father, but only hardness, a hard 
voice, a hard eye, a hard hand ; and I felt from 
the first that what he wanted was to wear all 
the spirit out of me, and just make me into a 
quiet, humble, obedient piece of horse-flesh. 
‘Horse-flesh!’ Yes, that is all that he thought 
about, ’ ’ and Ginger stamped her foot as if the 
very thought of him made her angry. Then 
she went on : — 

“If I did not do exactly what he wanted, he 
would get put out and make me run round with 


36 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


that long rein in the training field till he had 
tired me out. I think he drank a good deal, 
and I am quite sure that the oftener he drank 
the worse he was for me. One day he had 
worked me hard in every way he could, and 
when I lay down I was tried, and miserable, 
and angry; it all seemed so hard. The next 
morning he came for me early, and ran me 
round again for a long time. I had scarcely 
had an hour’s rest, when he came again for me 
with a saddle and bridle and a new kind of bit. 

I could never quite tell how it came about ; he 
had only just mounted me on the training 
ground, when something I did put him out of 
temper, and he chucked me hard with the rein. 1 
The new bit was very painful, and I reared up 
suddenly, which angered him still more, and 
he began to flog me. I felt my whole spirit set 
against him, and I began to kick, and plunge, 
and rear as I had never done before, and we 
had a regular fight ; for a long time he stuck to 
the saddle and punished me cruelly with his 
whip and spurs, but my blood was thoroughly 
up, and I cared for nothing he could do if only 
I could get him off. At last, after a terrible 
struggle, I threw him off backwards. I heard 
him fall heavily on the turf, and without look- 
ing behind me, I galloped off to the other end 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


37 


of the field : there I turned round and saw my 
persecutor slowly rising from the ground and 
going into the stable. I stood under an oak 
tree and watched, but no one came to catch 
me. Time went on, and the sun was very hot; 
the flies swarmed round me and settled on my 
bleeding flanks where the spurs had dug in. I 
felt hungry, for I had not eaten since the early 
morning, but there was not enough grass in 
that meadow for a goose to live on. I wanted 
to lie down and rest, but with the saddle 
strapped tightly on, there was no comfort, and 
there was not a drop of water to drink. The 
afternoon wore on, and the sun got low. I saw 
the other colts led in, and I knew they were 
having a good feed. 

“At last, just as the sun went down, I saw 
the old master come out with a sieve in his 
hand. He was a very fine old gentleman with 
quite white hair, but his voice was what I 
should know him amongst a thousand. It was 
not high, nor yet low, but full, and clear, and 
kind, and when he gave orders it was so steady 
and decided, that every one knew, both horses 
and men, that he expected to be obeyed. He 
came quietly along, now and then shaking the 
oats about that he had in the sieve, and speak- 
ing cheerfully and gently to me: ‘Come along, 


38 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


lassie, come along, lassie; come along, come 
along. * I stood still and let him come up ; he 
held the oats to me, and I began to eat without 
fear; his voice took all my fear away. He 
stood by, patting and stroking me whilst I was 
eating, and seeing the clots of blood on my 
side he seemed very vexed. ‘Poor lassie! it 
was a bad business, a bad business ! ’ Then he 
quietly took the rein and led me to the stable ; 
just at the door stood Samson. I laid my ears 
back and snapped at him. ‘ Stand back, ’ said 
the master, ‘and keep out of her way; you’ve 
done a bad day’s work for this filly. ’ He 
growled out something about a vicious brute. 
‘Hark ye,’ said the father, ‘a bad-tempered 
man will never make a good-tempered horse. 
You’ve not learned your trade yet, Samson.’ 
Then he led me into my box, took off the 
saddle and bridle with his own hands, and tied 
me up ; then he called for a pail of warm water 
and a sponge, took off his coat, and while the 
stable-man held the pail, he sponged my sides 
a good while, so tenderly that I was sure he 
knew how sore and bruised they were. ‘Whoa! 
my pretty one,’ he said, ‘stand still, stand still. ’ 
His very voice did me good, and the bathing 
was very comfortable. The skin was so broken 
at the corners of my mouth that I could not 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


39 


eat the hay, the stalks hurt me. He looked 
closely at it, shook his head, and told the man 
to fetch a good bran mash and put some meal 
into it. How good that mash was! and so soft 
and healing to my mouth. He stood by all the 
time I was eating, stroking me and talking to 
the man. ‘If a high-mettled creature like 
this,’ said he, ‘can’t be broken in by fair means, 
she will never be good for anything. ’ 

“After that he often came to see me, and 
when my mouth was healed, the other breaker, 
Job, they called him, went on training me; he 
was steady and thoughtful, and I soon learned 
what he wanted. ’ ’ 


40 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER VIII. 
ginger’s story continued. 

The next time that Ginger and I were 
together in the paddock, she told me about her 
first place. 

‘‘After my breaking in,” she said, “I was 
bought by a dealer to match another chestnut 
horse. For some weeks he drove us together, 
and then we were sold to a fashionable gentle- 
man, and were sent up to London. I had been 
driven with a check-rein by the dealer, and I 
hated it worse than anything else ; but in this 
place we were reined far tighter; the coachman 
and his master thinking we looked more stylish 
so. We were often driven about in the Park 
and other fashionable places. You who never 
had a check-rein on don’t know what it is, but 
I can tell you it is dreadful. 

“I like to toss my head about, and hold it as 
high as any horse; but fancy now yourself, if 
you tossed your head up high, and were obliged 
to hold it there, and that for hours together, 
not able to move it at all, except with a jerk 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


41 


still higher, your neck aching till you did not 
know how to bear it. Besides that, to have 
two bits instead of one ; and mine was a sharp 
one ; it hurt my tongue and my jaw, and the 
blood from my tongue colored the froth that 
kept flying from my lips, as I chafed and fretted 
at the bits and rein. It was worst when we 
had to stand by the hour waiting for our mis- 
tress at some grand party or entertainment; 
and if I fretted or stamped with impatience, 
the whip was laid on. It was enough to drive 
one mad. ” 

“Did not your master take any thought for 
you?” I said. 

“No,” said she, “he only cared to have a 
stylish turn-out, as they called it; I think he 
knew very little about horses; he left that to 
his coachman, who told him I had an irritable 
temper; that I had not been well broken to 
the check-rein, but I should soon get used to it ; 
but he was not the man to do it, for when I 
was in the stable, miserable and angry, instead 
of being soothed and quieted by kindness, I got 
only a surly word or a blow. If he had been 
civil, I rould have tried to bear it. I was will- 
ing to work, and ready to work hard too ; but 
to be tormented for nothing but their fancies 
angered me. What right had they to make me 

4 Black Beauty 


42 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


suffer like that? Besides the soreness in my 
mouth, and the pain in my neck, it always 
made my windpipe feel bad, and if I had 
stopped there long, I know it would have 
spoiled my breathing; but I grew more and 
more restless and irritable, I could not help it ; 
and I began to snap and kick when any one 
came to harness me ; for this the groom beat 
me, and one day, as they had just buckled us 
into the carriage, and were straining my head 
up with that rein, I began to plunge and kick 
with all my might. I soon broke a lot of 
harness, and kicked myself clear ; so that was 
an end of that place. 

“After this, I was sent to Tattersall’s to be 
sold ; of course I could not be warranted free 
from vice, so nothing was said about that. My 
handsome appearance and good paces soon 
brought a gentleman to bid for me, and I was 
bought by another dealer; he tried me in all 
kinds of ways and with different bits, and he 
soon found out what I could not bear. At last 
he drove me quite without a check-rein, and 
then sold me as a perfectly quiet horse to a 
gentleman in the country; he was a good 
master, and I was getting on very well, but his 
old groom left him and a new one came. This 
man was as hard-tempered and hard-handed 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


43 


as Samson ; he always spoke in a rough, impa- 
tient voice, and if I did not move in the stall 
the moment he wanted me, he would hit me 
above the hocks with his stable broom or the 
fork, whichever he might have in his hand. 
Everything he did was rough, and I began to 
hate him ; he wanted to make me afraid of him, 
but I was too high-mettled for that, and one day 
when he had aggravated me more than usual, 
I bit him, which of course put him in a great 
rage, and he began to hit me about the head 
with a riding whip. After that, he never 
dared to come into my stall again ; either my 
heels or my teeth were ready for hitn, and he 
knew it. I was quite quiet with my master, 
but of course he listened to what the man said, 
and so I was sold sgain. 

“The same dealer heard of me, and said he 
thought he knew one place where I should do 
well. "Twas a pity,’ he said, ‘that such a fine 
horse should go to the bad, for want of a real 
good chance, ’ and the end of it was that I came 
here not long before you did; but I had then 
made up my mind that men were my natural 
enemies, and that I must defend myself. Of 
course it is very different here, but who knows 
how long it will last? I wish I could think 


44 


black: beauty. 


about things as you do; but I can’t, after all I 
have gone through. w 

“Well,” I said, “I think it would be areal 
shame if you were to bite or kick John or 
James. ” 

“I don’t mean to,” she said, “while they 
are good to me. I did bite James once pretty 
sharp, but John said, ‘Try her with kindness,’ 
and instead of punishing me as I expected, 
James came to me with his arm bound up, and 
brought me a bran mash and stroked me ; and 
I have never snapped at him since, and I 
won’t, either.” 

I was sorry for Ginger, but of course I knew 
very little then, and I thought most likely she 
made the worst of it; however, I found that 
as the weeks went on she grew more gentle 
and cheerful, and had lost the watchful, defi- 
ant look that she used to turn on any strange 
person that came near her; and one day James 
said, “I do believe that mare is getting fond of 
me ; she quite whinnied after me this morning, 
when I had been rubbing her forehead.” 

“Ay, ay, Jim, ’tis ‘the Birtwick balls,’ ” said 
John, “she’ll be as good as Black Beauty by 
and by ; kindness is all the physic she wants, 
poor thing.” Master noticed the change too, 
and one day when he got out of the carriage 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


45 


and came to speak to ns, as he often did, he 
stroked her beautiful neck. “Well my pretty 
one, well, how do things go on with you now? 
You are a good bit happier than when you 
came to us, I think. ’ ’ 

She put her nose up to him in a friendly, 
trustful may, while he rubbed it gently. 

“We shall make a cure of her, John,” he 
said. 

“Yes, sir, she’s wonderfully improved; she’s 
not the same creature that she was; it’s ‘the 
Birtwick balls,’ sir,’’ said John, laughing. 

This was a little joke of John’s; he used to 
say that a regular course of “the Birtwick 
horse-balls’’ would cure almost any vicious 
horse ; these balls, he said, were made up of 
patience and gentleness, firmness and petting, 
one pound of each to be mixed with a pint of 
common-sense, and given to the horse every 
day. 


46 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER IX. 

MERRYLEGS. 

Mr. Blomefield, the Vicar, had a large family 
of boys and girls; sometimes they used to 
come and play with Miss Jessie and Flora. 
One of the girls was as old as Miss Jessie; two 
of the boys were older, and there were several 
little ones. When the came, there was plenty 
of work for Merry legs, for nothing pleased 
them’so much as getting on him by turns and 
riding him all about the orchard and the home 
paddock, and ths they would do by the hour 
together. 

One afternoon he had been sent out with 
them a long time, and when James brought 
him in and put on his halter, he said: — 

“There, you rogue, mind how you behave 
yourself, or we shall get into trouble.” 

“What have you been doing, Merrylegs?” I 
asked. 

“Oh!” said he, tossing his little head, “I 
have only been giving those young people a 
lesson ; they did not know when they had had 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


47 


enough, so I just pitched them off backwards; 
that was the only thing they could understand. ’ ’ 
“What?” said I, “you threw the children off? 
I thought you did know better than that! Did 
you throw Miss Jessie or Miss Flora?” 

He looked very much offended, and said, — 
“Of course not; I would not do such a thing 
for the best oats that ever came into the stable ; 
why, I am as careful of our young ladies as the 
master could be, and as for the little ones, it 
is I who teach them to ride. When they seem 
frightened or a little unsteady on my back, I 
go as smooth and as quiet as old pussy when 
she is after a bird ; and when they are all right 
I go on again faster, you see, just to use them 
to it; so don’t you trouble yourself preaching 
to me ; I am the best friend and the best rid- 
ing-master those children have. It is not 
them, it is the boys; boys,” said he, shaking 
his mane, “are quite different; they must be 
broken in, as we were broken in when we were 
colts, and just be taught what’s what. The 
other children had ridden me about for nearly 
two hours, and then the boys thought it was 
their turn, and so it was, and I was quite agree- 
able. They rode me by turns, and I galloped 
them about, up and down the fields and all 
about the orchard, for a good hour. They had 


48 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


each cut a great hazel stick for a riding whip, 
and laid it on a little too hard ; but I took it in 
good part, till at last I thought we had had 
enough, so I stopped two or three times by way 
of a hint. Boys, you see, think a horse or pony 
is like a steam engine or a thrashing machine, 
and can go as long and as fast as they please ; 
they never think that a pony can get tired, or 
have any feelings; so as the one who was 
whipping me could not understand, I just rose 
up on my hind legs and let him slip off behind 
— that was all; he mounted me again, and I 
did the same. Then the other boy got up, and 
as soon as he began to use his stick, I laid him 
on the grass, and so on, till they were able to 
understand, that was all. They are not bad 
boys; they don’t wish to be cruel. I like them 
very well ; but you see I had to give them a 
lesson. When they brought me to James and 
told him, I think he was very angry to see such 
big sticks. He said they were only fit for 
drovers or gypsies, and not for young gentle- 
men. ” 

“If I had been you,” said Ginger, “I would 
have given those boys a good kick, and that 
would have given them a lesson.” 

“No doubt you would,” said Merrylegs; 
“but then I am not quite such a fool (begging 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


49 


your pardon) as to anger our master or make 
James ashamed of me; besides, those children 
are under my charge when they are riding; I 
tell you they are entrusted to me. Why, only 
the other day I heard our master say to Mrs. 
Blomefield, ‘ My dear madam, you need not be 
anxious about the children ; my old Merrylegs 
will take as much care of them as you or I 
could ; I assure you I would not sell that pony 
for any money, he is so perfectly good-tem- 
pered and trustworthy;’ and do you think I am 
such an ungrateful brute as to forget all the 
kind treatment I have had here for five years, 
and all the trust they place in me, and turn 
vicious, because a couple of ignorant boys used 
| me badly? No, no! you never had a good 
place where they were kind to you, and so you 
don’t know, and I am sorry for you; but I can 
tell you good places make good horses. I 
wouldn’t vex our people for anything; I love 
them, I do,” said Merrylegs, and he gave a 
low “ho, ho, ho,” through his nose, as he used 
1 to do in the morning when he heard James' 
footstep at the door. 

“Besides,” he went on, “if I took to kicking, 
where should I be? Why, sold off in a jiffy, 
t and no character, and I might find myself 
slaved about under a butcher’s boy, or worked 

4 


50 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


to death at some seaside place where no one 
cared for me, except to find out how fast I 
could go, or be flogged along in some cart with 
three or four great men in it going out for a 
Sunday spree, as I have often seen in the place 
I lived in before I came here. No,” said he, 
shaking his head, “I hope I shall never come 
to that.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


51 


CHAPTER X. 

A TALK IN THE ORCHARD. 

Ginger and I were not of the regular tall 
carriage horse breed, we had more of racing 
blood in us. We stood about fifteen and a half 
hands high; we were, therefore, just as good 
for riding as we were for driving, and our mas- 
ter used to say that he disliked either horse or 
man that could do but one thing; and as he 
did not want to show off in London parks, he 
preferred a more active and useful kind of 
horse. As for us, our greatest pleasure was 
when we were saddled for a riding party ; the 
master on Ginger, the mistress on me, and the 
young ladies on Sir Oliver and Merrylegs. It 
was so cheerful to be trotting and cantering all 
together, that it always put us in high spirits. 
I had the best of it, for I always carried the 
mistress ; her weight was little, her voice was 
sweet, and her hand was so light on the rein, 
that I was guided almost without feeling it. 

Oh ! if people knew what a comfort to horses 
a light hand is, and how it keeps a good mouth 


52 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


and a good temper, they surely would not 
chuck, and drag, and pull at the rein as they 
often do. Our mouths are so tender, that 
where they have not been spoiled or hardened 
with bad or ignorant treatment,, they feel the 
slightest movement of the driver’s hand, and 
we know in an instant what is required of us. 
My mouth had never been spoiled, and I 
believe that was why the mistress preferred 
me to Ginger, although her paces were cer- 
tainly quite as good. She used often to envy 
me, and said it was all the fault of breaking in, 
and the gag bit in London, that her mouth 
was not so perfect as mine; and then old Sir 
Oliver would say, “There, there! don’t vex 
yourself ; you have the greatest honor ; a mare 
that can carry a tall man of our master’s 
weight, with all your spring and sprightly 
action, does not need to hold her head down 
because she does not carry the lady; we horses 
must take things as they come, and always be 
contented and willing, so long as we are kindly 
used. ’ ’ 

I had often wondered how it was that Sir 
Oliver had such a very short tail ; it really was 
only six or seven inches long, with a tassel of 
hair hanging from it ; and on one of our holi- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


53 


days in the orchard I ventured to ask him by 
what accident it was that he had lost his tail. 

“ Accident !” he snorted with a fierce look; 
“it was no accident! It was a cruel, shameful, 
cold-blood act! When I was young I was 
taken to a place where these cruel things were 
done ; I was tied up, and made fast so that I 
could not stir, and then they came and cut off 
my long beautiful tail, through the flesh and 
through the bone, and took it away.” 

“How dreadful!” I exclaimed. 

“Dreadful — ah! it was dreadful; but it was 
not only the pain, though that was terrible, 
and lasted a long time ; it was not only the in- 
dignity of having my best ornament taken from 
me, though that was bad ; but it was this, how 
could I ever brush the flies off my sides and my 
hind legs any more? You who have tails just 
whisk the flies off without thinking about it, 
and you can’t tell what a torment it is to have 
them settle upon you and sting and sting, and 
have nothing in the world to lash them off 
with. I tell you it is a life-long wrong, and a 
life-long loss; but, thank Heaven, they don’t 
do it now.” 

“What did they do it for then?” said Ginger. 

“For fashion!” said the old horse with a 
stamp of his foot; “for fashion ! if you know 


54 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


what that means; there was not a well-bred 
young horse in my time that had not his tail 
docked in that shameful way, just as if the 
good God that made us did not know what we 
wanted, and what looked best.” 

“I suppose it is fashion that makes them 
strap our heads up with those horrid bits that 
I was tortured with in London,” said Ginger. 

“Of course, it is,” said he. “To my mind, 
fashion is one of the wickedest things in the 
world. Now, look, for instance, at the way 
they serve dogs, cutting off their tails to make 
them look plucky, and shearing up their pretty 
little ears to a point to make them look sharp, 
forsooth. I had a dear friend once, a brown 
terrier; ‘Skye’ they called her. She was so 
fond of me that she never would sleep out of 
my stall ; she made her bed under the manger, 
and there she had a litter of five as pretty little 
puppies as need be ; none were drowned, for 
they were a valuable kind, and how pleased 
she was with them ! and when they got their 
eyes open and crawled about, it was a real 
pretty sight. But one day the man came and 
took them all away. I thought he might be 
afraid I should tread upon them. But it was- 
not so ; in the evening poor Skye brought them 
back again, one by one in her mouth ; not the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


55 


h a ppy little things that they were, but bleeding 
and crying pitifully ; they had all had a piece 
of their tails cut off, and the soft flap of their 
pretty little ears was cut quite off. How their 
mother licked them, and how troubled she was, 
poor thing! I never forgot it. They healed 
in time, and they forgot the pain, but the nice 
soft flap, that, of course, was intended to pro- 
tect the delicate part of their ears from dust 
and injury, was gone forever. Why don’t they 
cut their own children’s ears into points to 
make them look sharp? Why don’t they cut 
the end of their noses to make them look 
plucky? One would be just as sensible as the 
other. What right have they to torment and 
disfigure God’s creatures?” 

Sir Oliver, though he was so gentle, was a 
fiery old fellow, and what he said was all so 
new to me, and so dreadful, that I found a bit- 
ter feeling toward men rise up in my mind that 
I never had before. Of course, Ginger was 
very much excited; she flung up her head 
with flashing eyes and distended nostrils, de- 
claring that men were both brutes and block- 
heads. 

“Who talks about blockheads?” said Merry- 
legs, who just came up from the old apple-tree, 
where he had been rubbing himself against the 


56 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


low branch. “Who talks about blockheads? 
I believe that is a bad word. ’ * 

“Bad words were made for bad things,” said 
Ginger, and she told him what Sir Oliver had 
said. 

“It is all true,” said Merrylegs sadly, “and 
I’ve seen that about the dogs over and over 
again where I lived first; but we won’t talk 
about it here. You know that master, and 
John, and James are always good to us, and 
talking against men in such a place as this 
doesn’t seem fair or grateful, and you know 
there are good masters and good grooms beside 
ours, though, of course, ours are the best.” 

This wise speech of good little Merrylegs, 
which we knew was quite true, cooled us all 
down, especially Sir Oliver, who was dearly 
fond of his master; and to turn the subject I 
said, “Can any one tell me the use of blink- 
ers?” 

“No!” said Sir Oliver shortly, “because they 
are no use. ’ ’ 

“They are supposed,” said Justice, the road 
cob, in his calm way, “to prevent horses from 
shying and starting, and getting so frightened 
as to cause accidents. ’ ’ 

“Then what is the reason they do not put 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


57 


them on riding horses; especially on ladies’ 
horses?” said I. 

‘‘There is no reason at all,” said he quietly, 
“except the fashion; they say that a horse 
would be so frightened to see the wheels of his 
own cart or carriage coming behind him, that 
he would be sure to run away, although, of 
course, when he is ridden he sees them all 
about him if the streets are crowded. I admit 
they do sometimes come too close to be pleas- 
ant, but we don’t run away; we are used to it, 
and understand it, and if we never had blink- 
ers put on we should never want them; we 
should see what was there, and know what was 
what, and be much less frightened than by 
only seeing bits of things that we can’t under- 
stand. Of course, there may be some nervous 
horses who have been hurt or frightened when 
they were young, who may be the better for 
them; but as I never was nervous, I can’t 
judge.” 

“I consider,” said Sir Oliver, “that blinkers 
are dangerous things in the night ; we horses 
can see much better in the dark than men can, 
and many an accident would never have hap- 
pened if horses might have had the full use of 
their eyes. Some years ago, I remember, 
there was a hearse with two horses returning 


58 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


one dark night, and just by farmer Sparrow’s 
house, where the pond is close to the road, the 
wheels went too near the edge, and the hearse 
was overturned into the water ; both the horses 
were drowned, and the driver hardly escaped. 
Of course, after this accident a stout white rail 
was put up that might be easily seen, but if those 
horses had not been partly blinded, they would 
of themselves have kept farther from the edge, 
and no accident would have happened. When 
our master’s carriage was overturned, before 
you came here, it was said, that if the lamp on 
the left side had not gone out, John would 
have seen the great hole that the road makers 
had left ; and so he might, but if old Colin had 
not had blinkers on, he would have seen it, 
lamp or no lamp, for he was far too knowing 
an old horse to run into danger. As it was, 
he was very much hurt, the carriage was 
broken, and how John escaped nobody knew.” 

“I should say,” said Ginger, curling her nos- 
tril, “that these men, who are so wise, had 
better give orders that in future all foals should 
be born with their eyes set just in the middle 
of their foreheads, instead of on the side ; they 
always think they can improve upon nature 
and mend what God has made.” 

Things were getting rather sore again, when 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


59 


Merrylegs held up his knowing little face and 
said, “I’ll tell you a secret: I believe John 
does not approve of blinkers; I heard him talk- 
ing with master about it one day. The master 
said, that ‘if horses had been used to them, it 
might be dangerous in some cases to leave 
them off;’ and John said he thought it would 
be a good thing if all colts were broken in 
without blinkers, as was the case in some for- 
eign countries. So, let us cheer up, and have 
a run to the other end of the orchard ; I believe 
the wind has blown down some apples, and we 
might just as well eat them as the slugs.’’ 

Merrylegs could not be resisted, so we broke 
off our long conversation, and got up our spirits 
by munching some very sweet apples which 
lay scattered on the grass. 


60 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XI. 

PLAIN SPEAKING. 

The longer I lived at Birtwick, the more 
proud and happy I felt at having such a place. 
Our master and mistress were respected and 
beloved by all who knew them; they were 
good and kind to everybody and everything; 
not only men and women, but horses and 
donkeys, dogs and cats, cattle and birds; there 
was no oppressed or ill-used creature that had 
not a friend in them, and their servants took 
the same tone. If any of the village children 
were known to treat any creature cruelly, they 
soon heard about it from the Hall. 

The Squire and farmer Grey had worked 
together, as they said, for more than twenty 
years, to get check-reins on the cart horses 
done away with, and in our parts you seldom 
saw them; and sometimes if mistress met a 
heavily laden horse, with his head strained up, 
she would stop the carriage and get out, and 
reason with the driver in her sweet serious 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


61 


voice, and try to show him how foolish and 
cruel it was. 

I don’t think; any man could withstand our 
mistress. I wish all ladies were like her. 
Our master, too, used to come down very heavy 
sometimes. I remember he was riding me 
toward home one morning, when he saw a 
powerful man driving toward us in a light 
pony chaise, with a beautiful little bay pony, 
with slender legs, and a high-bred sensitive 
head and face. Just as he came to the park 
gates, the little thing turned toward them ; the 
man, without word or warning, wrenched the 
creature’s head round with such a force and 
suddenness, that he nearly threw it on its 
haunches; recovering itself, it was going on, 
when he began to lash it furiously: the pony 
plunged forward, but the strong heavy hand 
held the pretty creature back with force almost 
enough to break its jaw, whilst the whip still 
cut into him. It was a dreadful sight to me, 
for I knew what fearful pain it gave that deli- 
cate little mouth; but master gave me the 
word, and we were up with him in a second. 

“Sawyer,” he cried in a stern voice, “is that 
pony made of flesh and blood?” 

“Flesh and blood and temper,” he said; 
“he’s too fond of his own will, and that won’t 


62 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


suit me.” He spoke as if he was in a strong 
passion ; he was a builder, and had often been 
to the Park on business. 

“And do you think,” said master sternly, 
“that treatment like this will make him fond 
of your will?” 

“He had no business to make that turn; his 
road was straight on!” said the man roughly. 

“You have often driven that pony up to my 
place,” said master; “it only shows the crea- 
ture’s memory and intelligence; how did he 
know that you were not going there again? 
But that has little to do with it. I must say, 
Mr. Sawyer, that more unmanly, brutal treat- 
ment of a little pony, it was never my painful 
lot to witness; and by giving way to such pas- 
sion, you injure your own character as much, 
nay, more, than you injure your horse; and 
remember, we shall all have to be judged 
according to our works, whether they be toward 
man or toward beast. ’ ’ 

Master rode me home slowly, and I could tell 
by his voice how the thing had grieved him. 
He was just as free to speak to gentlemen of 
his rank as to those below him ; for another 
day, when we were out, we met a Captain 
Langley, a friend of our master’s; he was driv- 
ing a splendid pair of grays in a kind of brake. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


63 


After a little conversation the captain 
said : — 

“What do you think of my new team, Mr. 
Douglas? You know, you are the judge of 
horses in these parts, and I should like your 
opinion. ’’ 

The master backed me a little, so as to get a 
good view of them. ‘ ‘ They are an uncommonly 
handsome pair,” he said, “and if they are as 
good as they look, I am sure you need not wish 
for anything better; but I see you still hold 
that pet scheme of yours for worrying your 
horses and lessening their power.” 

“What do you mean,” said the other, “the 
check-reins? Oh, ah ! I know that’s a hobby of 
yours ; well, the fact is, I like to see my horses 
hold their heads up. ’ ’ 

“So do I,” said master, “as well as any man, 
but I don’t like to see them held up; that takes 
all the shine out of it. Now, you are a mili- 
tary man, Langley, and no doubt like to see 
your regiment look well on parade, ‘heads up/ 
and all that; but you would not take much 
credit for your drill, if all your men had their 
heads tied to a backboard! It might not be 
much harm on parade, except to worry and 
fatigue them; but how would it be in a bay- 
onet charge against the enemy, when they want 


64 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


the free use of every muscle, and all their 
strength thrown forward! I would not give 
much for their chance of victory. And it is 
just the same with horses: you fret and worry 
their tempers, and decrease their power ; you 
will not let them throw their weight against 
their work, and so they have to do too much 
with their joints and muscles, and of course it 
wears them up faster. You many depend 
upon it, horses were intended to have their 
heads free, as free as men’s are ; and if we could 
act a little more according to common sense, 
and a good deal less according to fashion, we 
should find many things work easier ; besides, 
you know as well as I that if a horse makes a 
false step, he has much less chance of recover- 
ing himself if his head and neck are fastened 
back. And now,” said the master, laughing, 
“I have given my hobby a good trot out, can’t 
you make up your mind to mount him too, 
captain ? Y our example would go a long way. ’ ’ 
“I believe you are right in theory,” said the 
other, ‘‘and that’s rather a hard hit about the 
soldiers; but — well — I’ll think about it,” and 
so they parted. 



You Beauty,’ said John, and took the bridle.” — Page 68. 

Black Beauty. 
































































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BLACK BEAUTY. 


65 


CHAPTER XII. 

A STORMY DAY. 

One day late in the autumn my master had 
a long journey to go on business. I was put 
into the dog cart, and John went with his mas- 
ter. I always liked to go in the dog-cart, it 
was so light, and the high wheels ran along so 
pleasantly. There had been a great deal of 
rain, and now the wind was very high and blew 
the dry leaves across the road in a shower. 
We went along merrily till we came to the toll- 
bar and the low wooden bridge. The river 
banks were rather high, and the bridge, instead 
of rising, went across just level, so that in the 
middle, if the river was full, the water would 
be nearly up to the wood-work and planks; 
but as there were good substantial rails on each 
side, people did not mind it. 

The man at the gate said the river was ris- 
ing fast, and he feared it would be a bad night. 
Many of the meadows were under water, and 
in one low part of the road, the water was half 

5 Black Beauty 


66 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


way up to my knees ; the bottom was good, and 
master drove gently, so it was no matter. 

When we got to the town, of course I had a 
good bait, but as the master’s business engaged 
him a long time, we did not start for home till 
rather late in the afternoon. The wind was 
then much higher, and I heard the master say 
to John, he had never been out in such a storm ; 
and so I thought, as we went along the skirts 
of a wood, where the great branches were 
swaying about like twigs, and the rushing 
sound was terrible. 

“I wish we were well out of this wood,” said 
my master. 

“Yes, sir,” said John, “it would be rather 
awkward if one of these branches came down 
upon us.” 

The words were scarcely out of his mouth 
when there was a groan, and a crack, and a 
splitting sound, and tearing, crashing down 
amongst the other trees came an oak, torn up 
by the roots, and it fell right across the road 
just before us. I will never say I was not 
frightened, for I was. I stopped still, and I 
believe I trembled. Of course I did not turn 
round or run away ; I was not brought up to 
that. John jumped out, and was in a moment 
at my head. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


67 


“That was a very near touch,” said my 
master. “What’s to be done now?” 

“Well, sir, we can’t drive over that tree, nor 
yet get round it ; there will be nothing for it but 
to go back to the four crossways, and that will 
be a good six miles before we get round to the 
wooden bridge again ; it will make us late, but 
the horse is fresh. 

So back we went and round by the cross- 
roads, but by the time we got to the bridge it 
was very nearly dark ; we could just see that 
the water was over the middle of it; but as 
that happened sometimes when the floods were 
out, master did not stop. We were going along 
at a good pace, but the moment my feet 
touched the first part of the bridge, I felt sure 
there was something wrong. I dare not go 
forward and I made a dead stop. “Go on, 
Beauty,’’ said my master, and he gave me a 
touch with the whip, but I dare not stir; he 
gave me a sharp cut; I jumped, but I dare not 
go forward. 

“There’s something wrong, sir,” said John, 
and he sprang out of the dog-cart, and came to 
my head and looked all about. He tried to 
lead me forward. “Come on, Beauty, what’s 
the matter?” Of course I could not tell him, 


68 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


but I knew very well that the bridge was not 
safe. 

Just then the man at the toll-gate on the 
other side ran out of the house, tossing a torch 
about like one mad. 

“Hoy, hoy, hoy! halloo! stop!” he cried. 

“What’s the matter?” shouted my master. 

“The bridge is broken in the middle, and 
part of it is carried away; if you come on 
you’ll be into the river.” 

“Thank God!” said my master. “You 
Beauty!” said John, and took the bridle and 
gently turned me round to the right-hand road 
by the river side. The sun had set some time : 
the wind seemed to have lulled off after that 
furious blast which tore up the tree. It grew 
darker and darker, stiller and stiller. I trotted 
quietly along, the wheels hardly making a 
sound on the soft road. For a good while 
neither master nor John spoke, and then master 
began in a serious voice. I could not under- 
stand much of what they said, but I found 
they thought, if I had gone on as the master 
wanted me, most likely the bridge would have 
given way under us, and horse, chaise, master, 
and man would have fallen into the river; and 
as the current was flowing very strongly, and 
there was no light and no help at hand, it was 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


69 


more than likely we should all have been 
drowned. Master said, God had given men 
reason, by which they could find out things for 
themselves; but He had given animals knowl- 
edge, which did not depend on reason, and 
which was much more prompt and perfect in 
its way, and by which they had often saved 
the lives of men. John had many stories to 
tell of dogs and horses, and the wonderful 
things they had done; he thought people did 
not value their animals half enough, nor make 
friends of them as they ought to do. I am 
sure he makes friends of them if ever a man 
did. 

At last we came to the park gates, and 
found the gardener looking out for us. He 
said that mistress had been in a dreadful way 
ever since dark, fearing some accident had 
happened, and that she had sent James off on 
Justice, the roan cob, toward the wooden 
bridge to make inquiry after us. 

We saw a light at the hall door and at the 
upper windows, and as we came up, mistress 
ran out, saying, “Are you really safe, my 
dear? Oh ! I have been so anxious, fancying 
all sorts of things. Have you had no acci- 
dent?” 

“No, my dear; but if your Black Beauty 


70 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


had not been wiser than we were, we should 
all have been carried down the river at the 
wooden bridge.” I heard no more, as they 
went into the house, and John took me to the 
stable. Oh, what a good supper he gave me 
that night, a good bran mash and some 
crushed beans with my oats, and such a thick 
bed of straw ! and I was glad of it, for I was 
tired. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


71 


CHAPTER XIII. 

THE DEVIL’S TRADE-MARK. 

One day when John and I had been out on 
some business of our master’s, and were re- 
turning gently on a long straight road, at 
some ^distance we saw a boy trying to leap a 
pony over a gate; the pony would not take 
the leap, and the boy cut him with the whip, 
but he only turned off on one side. He 
whipped him again, but the pony turned off 
on the other side. Then the boy got off and 
gave him a hard thrashing, and knocked him 
about the head ; then he got up again and tried 
to make him leap the gate, kicking him all the 
time shamefully, but still the pony refused. 
When we were nearly at the spot, the pony put 
down his head and threw up his heels and sent 
the boy neatly over into a broad quickset 
hedge, and with the rein dangling from his 
head he set off home at a full gallop. John 
laughed out quite loud. “Served him right,” 
he said. 

“Oh, oh, oh!” cried the boy as he struggled 


72 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


about amongst the thorns; “I say, come and 
help me out. ' ’ 

“Thank ye,” said John, “I think you are 
quite in the right place, and maybe a little 
scratching will teach you not to leap a pony 
over a gate that is too high for him;’’ and so 
with that John rode off. “It maybe,’’ said 
he to himself, “that young fellow is a liar as 
well as a cruel one; we’ll just go home by far- 
mer Bushby’s, Beauty, and then if anybody 
wants to know, you and I can tell ’em, ye see. ’’ 
So we turned off to the right and soon came 
up to the stack-yard, and within sight of the 
house. The farmer was hurrying out into the 
road, and his wife was standing at the gate, 
looking very frightened. 

“Have you seen my boy?’’ said Mr. Bushby, 
as w T e came up; “he went out an hour ago on 
my black pony, and the creature is just come 
back without a rider.” 

“I should think, sir,” said John, “he had 
better be without a rider, unless he can be 
ridden properly. ’ ’ 

“What do you mean?” said the farmer. 

“Well, sir, I saw your son whipping, and 
kicking, and knocking that good little pony 
about shamefully, because he would not leap 
a gate that was too high for him. The pony 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


73 


behaved well, sir, and showed no vice ; but at 
last he just threw up his heels, and tipped the 
young gentleman into the thorn hedge; he 
wanted me to help him out ; but I hope you 
will excuse me, sir, I did not feel inclined to 
do so. There’s no bones broken, sir, he’ll only 
get a few scratches. I love horses, and it riles 
me to see them badly used ; it is a bad plan to 
aggravate an animal till he uses his heels ; the 
first time is not always the last. ’ ’ 

During this time the mother began to cry, 
“Oh, my poor Bill, I must go and meet him; 
he must be hurt. ’’ 

“You had better go into the house, wife,” 
said the farmer; Bill wants a lesson about 
this, and I must see that he gets it; this is not 
the first time, nor the second, that he has ill- 
used that pony, and I shall stop it. I am much 
obliged to you, Manly. Good-evening.” 

So we went on, John chuckling all the way 
home; then he told James about it, who 
laughed and said, “Serve him right. I knew 
that boy at school ; he took great airs on him- 
self because he was a farmer’s son; he used to 
swagger about and bully the little boys; of 
course we elder ones would not have any of 
that nonsense, and let him know that in the 
school and the playground farmers’ sons and 

6 Black Beauty 


74 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


laborers’ sons were all alike. I well remem- 
ber one day, just before afternoon school, I 
found him at a large window catching flies and 
pulling off their wings. He did not see me, 
and I gave him a box on the ears that laid him 
sprawling on the floor. Well, angry as I was, 
I was almost frightened, he roared and bel- 
lowed in such a style. The boys rushed in 
from the playground, and the master ran in 
from the road to see who was being murdered. 
Of course I said fair and square at once what I 
had done, and why ; then I showed the master 
the flies, some crushed and some crawling 
about helpless, and I showed him the wings 
on the window sill. I never saw him so angry 
before; but as Bill was still howling an*i whin- 
ing, like the coward that he was, he did not 
give him any more punishment of that kind, 
but set him up on a stool for the rest of the 
afternoon, and said that he should no go out to 
play for that week. Then he talked to all the 
boys very seriously about cruelty, and said 
how hard-hearted and cowardly it was to hurt 
the weak and the helpless; but what stuck in 
my mind was this, he said that cruelty was 
the Devil’s own trade-mark, and if we saw any 
one who took pleasure in cruelty, we might 
know who he belonged to, for the Devil was 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


75 


a murderer from the beginning, and a tormen- 
tor to the end. On the other hand, when we 
saw people who loved their neighbors, and 
were kind to man and beast, we might know 
that was God’s mark, for ‘God is Love.’ ” 
“Your master never taught you a truer 
thing, ’ ’ said J ohn ; ‘ ‘ there is no religion without 
love, and people may talk as much as they like 
about their religion, but if it does not teach 
them to be good and kind to man and beast, it 
is all a sham — all a sham, James, and it won’t 
stand when things come to be turned inside 
out, and put down for what they are. ’ ’ 


76 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

JAMES HOWARD. 

One morning early in December, John had 
just let me into my box after my daily exer- 
cise, and was strapping my cloth on, and James 
was coming in from the corn chamber with 
some oats, when the master came into the 
stable ; he looked rather serious, and held an 
open letter in his hand. John fastened the 
door of my box, touched his cap, and waited 
for orders. 

“Good- morning, John/’ said the master; “I 
want to know if you have any complaint to 
make of James.” 

“Complaint, sir? No, sir.” 

“Is he industrious at his work and respect- 
ful to you?” 

“Yes, sir, always.” 

“You never find he slights his work when 
your back is turned?” 

“Never, sir.” 

“That’s well; but I must put another ques- 
tion : have you no reason to suspect when he 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


77 


goes out with the horses to exercise them, or 
to take a message, that he stops about talking 
to his acquaintances, or goes into houses 
where he has no business, leaving the horses 
outside?” 

“No, sir, certainly not; and if anybody has 
been saying that about James, I don’t believe it, 
and I, don’t mean to believe it unless I have it 
fairly proved before witnesses; it’s not for me 
to say who has been trying to take away 
James’s character, but I will say this, sir, that 
a steadier, pleasanter, honester, smarter young 
fellow I never had in this stable. I can trust 
his word and I can trust his work ; he is gentle 
and clever with the horses, and so I would rather 
have them in charge with him than with half 
the young fellows I know of in laced hats and 
liveries; and whoever wants a character of 
James Howard,” said John, with a decided 
jerk of his head, “let them come to John 
Manly.” 

The master stood all this time grave and 
attentive, but as John finished his speech, a 
broad smile spread over his face, and looking 
kindly across at James, who all this time had 
stood still at the door, he said, “James, my 
lad, set down the oats and come here; I am 
Very glad to find that John’s opinion of your 


78 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


character agrees so exactly with my own. John 
is a cautious man,” he said, with a droll smile, 
“and it is not always easy to get his opinion 
about people, so I thought if I beat the bush 
on this side the birds would fly out, and I 
should learn what I wanted to know quickly; 
so now we will come to business. I have a let- 
ter from my brother-in-law, Sir Clifford Wil- 
liams, of Clifford Hall. He wants me to find 
him a trustworthy young groom, about twenty 
or twenty-one, who knows his business. His 
old coachimn, who has lived with him thirty 
years, is getting feeble, and he wants a man to 
work with him and get into his ways, who 
would be able, when the old man was pen- 
sioned off, to step into his place. He would 
have eighteen shillings a week at first, a stable 
suit, a driving suit, a bedroom over the coach- 
house, and a boy under him. Sir Clifford is a 
good master, and if you could get the place it 
would be a good start for you. I don’t want 
to part with you, and if you left us I know 
John would lose his right hand.” 

“That I should, sir,” said John, “but I 
wouldn’t stand in his light for the world.” 

“How old are you, James?” said master. 

“Nineteen next May, sir.” 

“That’s young; what do you think, John?” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


79 


“Well, sir, it is young; but he is as steady 
as a man, and is strong, and well grown, and 
though he has not had much experience in 
driving,* has a light, firm hand and a quick 
eye, and he is very careful, and I am quite 
sure no horse of his will be ruined for want of 
having his feet and shoes looked after.” 

“Your word will go the furthest, John,” 
said the master, “for Sir Clifford adds in a 
postscript, ‘If I could find a man trained by 
your John, I should like him better than any 
other;’ so James, lad, think it over, talk to 
your mother at dinner-time, and then let me 
know what you wish, ’ ’ 

In a few days after this conversation, it was 
fully settled that James should go to Clifford 
Hall, in a month or six weeks, as it suited his 
master, and in the meantime he was to get all 
the practice in driving that could be given to 
him. I never knew the carriage to go out so 
often before; when the mistress did not go out, 
the master drove himself in the two-wheeled 
chaise ; but now, whether it was master or the 
young ladies, or only an errand, Ginger and I 
were put in the carriage and James drove us. 
At the first, John rode with him on the box, 
telling him this and that, and after that James 
drove alone. 


80 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Then it was wonderful what a number of 
places the master would go to in the city on 
Saturday, and what queer streets we were 
driven through. He was sure to go to the rail- 
way station just as the train was coming in, 
and cabs and carriages, carts and omnibuses 
were all trying to get over the bridge to- 
gether; that bridge wanted good horses and 
good drivers when the railway bell was ring- 
ing, for it was narrow, and there was a very 
sharp turn up to the station, where it would 
not have been at all difficult for people to run 
into each other, if they did not look sharp and 
keep their wits about them. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


81 


CHAPTER XV. 

THE OLD OSTLER. 

After this, it was decided by my master and 
mistress to pay a visit to some friends who lived 
about forty-six miles from our home, and 
James was to drive them. The first day we 
traveled thirty-two miles. There was some 
long heavy hills, but J ames drove so carefully 
and thoughtfully that we were not at all har- 
assed. He never forgot to put on the brake 
as we went down-hill, nor to take it off at the 
right place. He kept our feet on the smooth- 
est part of the road, and if the uphill was very 
long, he set the carriage wheels a little across 
the road, so as not to run back, and gave us a 
breathing. All these little things help a horse 
very much, particularly if he gets kind words 
into the bargain. 

We stopped once or twice on the road, and 
just as the sun was going down, we reached 
the town where we were to spend the night. 
We stopped at the principal hotel, which was 
in the market-place. It was a very large one. 

6 


82 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


We drove under an archway into a long yard, 
at the further end of which were the stables 
and coach-houses. Two ostlers came to take 
us out. The head ostler was a pleasant, 
active little man, with a crooked leg, and a 
yellow striped waistcoat. I never saw a man 
unbuckle harness so quickly as he did, and 
with a pat and a good word he led me to a 
long stable, with six or eight stalls in it, and 
two or three horses. The other man brought 
Ginger. James stood by whilst we were 
rubbed down and cleaned. 

I never was cleaned so lightly and quickly as 
by that little old man. When he had done, 
James stepped up and felt me over, as if he 
thought I could not be thoroughly done, but 
he found my coat as clean and smooth as silk. 

“Well,” he said, “I thought I was pretty 
quick, and our John quicker still, but you do 
beat all I ever saw for being quick and 
thorough at the same time. ’ ’ 

“Practice makes perfect, ” said the crooked 
little ostler, “and ’twould be a pity if it didn’t; 
forty years’ practice, and not perfect! ha, ha! 
that would be a pity; and as to being quick, 
why, bless you! that is only a matter of habit; 
if you get into the habit of being quick, it is 
just as easy as being slow; easier, I should 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


83 


say; in fact, it don’t agree with my # health to 
be hulking about over a job twice as long as it 
need take. Bless you! I couldn’t whistle if 
I crawled over my work as some folks do! 
You see, I have been about horses ever since I 
was twelve years old, in hunting stables and 
racing stables; and being small, ye see, I was 
jockey for several years; but at the Goodwood, 
ye see, the turf was very slippery and my poor 
Larkspur got a fall, and I broke my knee, and 
so of course I was no more use there. But I 
could not live without horses, of course I 
couldn’t, so I took to the hotels. And I can 
tell ye it is a downright pleasure to handle 
an animal like this, well-bred, well-mannered, 
well-cared for; bless ye ! I can tell how a horse 
is treated. Give me the handling of a horse for 
twenty minutes, and I’ll tell you what sort of a 
groom he has had. Look at this one, pleasant, 
quiet, turns about just as you want him, holds 
up his feet to be cleaned out, or anything else 
you please to wish; then you’ll find another 
fidgety, fretty, won’t move the right way, or 
starts across the stall, tosses up his head as 
soon as you come near him, lays his ears, and 
seems afraid of you ; or else squares about at 
you with his heels. Poor things ! I know what 
sort of treatment they have had. If they are 


84 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


timid, it makes them start or shy ; if they are 
high-mettled, it makes them vicious or danger- 
ous ; their tempers are mostly made when they 
are young. Bless you ! they are like children ; 
train ’em up in the way they should go, as the 
good book says, and when they are old they 
will not depart from it, if they have a chance, 
that is.” 

‘‘I like to hear you talk,” said James; 
“that’s the way we lay it down at home, at 
our master’s. ” 

“Who is your master, young man? if it be a 
proper question. I should judge he is a good 
one, from what I see. ’ ’ 

“He is Squire Gordon, of Birtwick Park, the 
other side the Beacon hills,” said James. 

“Ah! so, so, I have heard tell of him; fine 
judge of horses, ain’t he? — the best rider in 
the county?” 

“I believe he is,” said James, “but he rides 
very little now, since the poor young master 
was killed. ’ ’ 

“Ah! poor gentleman; I read all about it in 
the paper at the time ; a fine horse killed too, 
wasn’t there?” 

“Yes,” said James, “he was a splendid 
creature, brother to this one, and just like 
him.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


85 


“Pity! pity!” said the old man, “ ’twas a 
bad place to leap, if I remember; a thin fence 
at top, a steep bank down to the stream, wasn’t 
it? no chance for a horse to see where he is 
going. Now, I am for bold riding as much as 
any man, but still there are some leaps that 
only a very knowing old huntsman has any 
right to take; a man’s life and a horse’s life 
are worth more than a fox’s tail, at least I 
should say they ought to be. ’ ’ 

During this time the other man had finished 
Ginger, and had brought our corn, and James 
and the old man left the stable together. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

THE FIRE. 

Later on in the evening a traveler’s horse 
was brought in by the second ostler, and 
whilst he was cleaning him a young man with 
a pipo in his mouth lounged into the stable to 
gossip. 

“I say, Towler,” said the ostler, “just run 
up the ladder into the loft and put some hay 
down into this horse’s rack, will you? only lay 
down your pipe. ’ ’ 

“All right,” said the other, and went up 
through the trap-door; and I heard him step 
across the floor overhead and put down the 
hay. James came in to look at us the last 
thing, and then the door was locked. 

I cannot say how long I had slept, nor what 
time in the night it was, but I woke up very 
uncomfortable, though I hardly knew why. 
I got up; the air seemed all thick and choking. 
I heard Ginger coughing, and one of the other 
horses seemed very restless; it was quite dark, 
and I could see nothing, but the stable seemed 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


87 


full of smoke, and I hardly knew how to 
breathe. 

The trap door had been left open, and I 
thought that was the place it came through. I 
listened, and heard a soft rushing sort of noise, 
and a low crackling and snapping. I did not 
know what it was, but there was something in 
the sound so strange, that it made me tremble 
all over. The other horses were now all 
awake; some were pulling at their halters, 
others were stamping. 

At last I heard steps outside, and the ostler 
who had put up the traveler’s horse burst into 
the stable with a lantern, and began to untie 
the horses, and tried to lead them out ; but he 
seemed in such a hurry and so frightened him- 
self that he frightened me still more. The 
first horse would not go with him ; he tried the 
second and third, and they too would not stir. 
He came to me next and tried to drag me out 
of the stall by force : of course that was no use. 
He tried us all by turns, and then left the 
stable. 

No doubt we were very foolish, but danger 
seemed to be all around, and there was nobody 
we knew to trust in, and all was strange and 
uncertain. The fresh air that had come in 
through the open door made it easier to 


88 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


breathe, but the rushing sound overhead grew 
louder, and as I looked upward, through the 
bars of my empty rack, I saw a red light flick- 
ering on the wall. Then I heard a cry of 
“Fire!” outside, and the old ostler quietly and 
quickly came in : he got one horse out, and 
went to another, but the flames were playing 
round the trap-door, and the roaring overhead 
was dreadful. 

The next thing I heard was James’s voice, 
quiet and cheery, as it always was. 

“Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be 
off, so wake up and come along.” I stood 
nearest the door, so he came to me first, pat- 
ting me as he came in. 

“Come, Beauty, on with your bridle, my 
boy, we will soon be out of this smother.” It 
was on in no time ; then he took the scarf off 
his neck, and tied it lightly over my eyes, and, 
patting and coaxing, he led me out of the 
stable. Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf 
off my eyes, and shouted, “Here, somebody! 
take this horse while I go back for the other.” 

A tall broad man stepped forward and took 
me, and James darted back into the stable. 
I set up a shrill whinny as I saw him go. 

Ginger told me afterwards, that whinny was 
the best thing I could have done for her, for 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


89 


had she not heard me outside, she would 
never have had courage to come out. 

There was much confusion in the yard : the 
horses being got out of other stables, and the 
carriages and gigs being pulled out of houses 
and sheds, lest the flames should spread fur- 
ther. On the other side the yard, windows 
were thrown up, and people were shouting all 
sorts of things; but I kept my eye fixed on the 
stable door, where the smoke poured out 
thicker than ever, and I could see flashes of 
red light ; presently I heard above all the stir 
and din a loud clear voice, which I knew was 
master’s, — 

“James Howard! James Howard! Are 
you there?” 

There was no answer, but I heard a crash 
of something falling in the stable, and the 
next moment I gave a loud joyful neigh, for I 
saw James coming through the smoke leading 
Ginger with him ; she was coughing violently, 
and he was not able to speak. 

“My brave lad!” said master, laying his 
hand on his shoulder, “are you hurt?” 

James shook his head, for he could not yet 
speak. 

“Ay,” said the big man who held me; “he 
is a brave lad, and no mistake.” 


90 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“And now,” said master, “when you have 
got your breath, James, we’ll get out of this 
place as quickly as we can,” and we were 
moving toward the entry, when from the mar- 
ket-place there came a sound of galloping feet 
and loud rumbling wheels. 

“ ’Tis the fire engine! the fire engine!” 
shouted two or three voices; “stand back, 
make way!” and clattering and thundering 
over the stones two horses dashed into the 
yard with the heavy engine behind them. 
The firemen leaped to the ground ; there was 
no need to ask where the fire was — it was roll- 
ing up in a great blaze from the roof. 

We got out as fast as we could into the broad 
quiet market-place; the stars were shining, 
and except the noise behind us, all was still. 
Master led the way to a large hotel on the 
other side, and as soon as the ostler came, he 
said, ‘'‘James, I must now hasten to your mis- 
tress; I trust the horses entirely to you; order 
whatever you think is needed,” and with that 
he was gone. The master did not run, but I 
never saw mortal man walk so fast as he did 
that night. 

There was a dreadful sound before we got 
into our stalls ; the shrieks of those poor horses 
that we left burning to death in the stable — it 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


91 


was very terrible! and made both Ginger and 
me feel very bad. We, however, were taken 
in and well done by. 

The next morning the master came to see 
how we were and to speak to James. I did 
not hear much, for the ostler was rubbing me 
down, but 1 could see that James looked very 
happy, and I thought the master was proud of 
him. Our mistress had been so much alarmed 
in the night, that the journey was put off till 
the afternoon, so James had the morning on 
hand, and went first to the inn to see about 
our harness and the carriage, and then to hear 
more about the fire. When he came back, we 
heard him tell the ostler about it. At first no 
one could guess how the fire had been caused, 
but at last a man said he saw Dick Towler go 
into the stable with a pipe in his mouth, and 
when he came out he had not one, and went 
to the tap for another. Then the under ostler 
said he had asked Dick to go up the ladder to 
put down some hay, but told him to lay down 
his pipe first. Dick denied taking the pipe up 
with him, but no one believed him. I remem- 
ber our John Manly’s rule, never to allow a 
pipe in the stable, and thought it ought to be 
the rule everywhere. 

James said the roof and floor had all fallen 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


«2 

in, and that only the black walls were stand- 
ing; the two poor horses that could not be got 
out were buried under the burnt rafters and 
tiles. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


93 


CHAPTER XVII. 

JOHN MANLY’S TALK. 

The rest of our journey was very easy, and a 
little after sunset we reached the house of my 
master’s friend. We were taken into a clean 
snug stable ; there was a kind coachman, who 
made us very comfortable, and who seemed to 
think a good deal of James when he heard 
about the fire. 

‘ ‘ There is one thing quite clear, young man, ’ ’ 
he said, “your horses know who they can trust; 
it is one of the hardest things in the world to 
get horses out of a stable when there is either 
fire or flood. I don’t know why they won’t 
come out, but they won’t — not one in twenty.” 

We stopped two or three days at this place 
and then returned home. All went well on 
the journey; we were glad to be in our own 
stable again, and John was equally glad to see 
us. 

Before he and James left us for the night, 
James said, “I wonder who is coming in my 
place.” 


94 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“Little Joe Green at the Lodge,” said John. 

“Little Joe Green! why, he’s a child!” 

“He is fourteen and a half,” said John. 

“But he is such a little chap!” 

“Yes, he is small, but he is quick, and will- 
ing, and kind-hearted, too, and then he wishes 
very much to come, and his father would like 
it; and I know the master would like to give 
him the chance. He said if I thought he would 
not do, he would look out for a bigger boy ; but 
I said I was quite agreeable to try him for six 
weeks. ’ ’ 

“Six weeks?” said James; “why, it will be 
six months before he can be much use ! It will 
make you a deal of work, John.” 

“Well,” said John, with a laugh, “work and 
I are very good friends ; I never was afraid of 
work yet.” 

“You are a very good man,” said James. 
“I wish I may ever be like you.” 

“I don’t often speak of myself,” said John 
“but as you are going away from us out into 
the world, to shift for yourself, I’ll just tell 
you how I look on these things. I was just as 
old as Joseph when my father and mother died 
of the fever, within ten days of each other, and 
left me and my crippled sister Nelly alone in 
the world, without a relation that we could 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


95 


look to for help. I was a fanner’s boy, not 
earning enough to keep myself, much less both 
of us, and she must have gone to the workhouse 
but for our mistress (Nelly calls her her angel, 
and she has good right to do so). She went 
and hired a room for her with old Widow Mal- 
let, and she gave her knitting and needlework 
when she was able to do it, and when she was 
ill she sent her dinners and many nice, com- 
fortable things, and was like a mother to her. 
Then the master, he took me into the stable 
under old Norman, the coachman that was 
then. I had my food at the house and my bed 
in the loft, and a suit of clothes, and three shil- 
lings a week, so that I could help Nelly. Then 
there was Norman; he might have turned 
round and said at his age he could not be 
troubled with a raw boy from the plow-tail, but 
he was like a father to me, and took no end of 
pains with me. When the old man died some 
years after, I stepped into his place, and now, 
of course, I have top wages, and can lay by for 
a rainy day or a sunny day, as it may happen, 
and Nelly is as happy as a bird. So you see, 
James, I am not the man that should turn up 
his nose at a little boy, and vex a good, kind 
master. No, no! I shall miss you very much, 
James, but we shall pull through, and there’s 


96 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


nothing like doing a kindness when ’tis put in 
your way, and I am glad I can do it. ’ ’ 

“Then,” said James, “you don’t hold with 
that saying * Everybody look after himself, and 
take care of number one.’ ” 

“No, indeed,” said John; “where should I 
and Nelly have been if master and mistress and 
old Norman had only taken came of number 
one? Why, she in the workhouse and I hoeing 
turnips! Where would Black Beauty and Gin- 
ger have been if you had only thought of num- 
ber one? Why, roasted to death! No, Jim, 
no! that is a selfish, heathenish saying, who- 
ever uses it ; and any man who thinks he has 
nothing to do but take care of number one, 
why, it’s a pity but what he had been drowned 
like a puppy or kitten, before he got his eyes 
open — that’s what I think/’ said John, with a 
very decided jerk of his head. 

James laughed at this; but there was a thick- 
ness in his voice when he said, “You have been 
my best friend except my mother; I hope you 
won’t forget me.” 

“No, lad, no!” said John, “and if ever I can 
do you a good turn, I hope you won’t forget 
me.” 

The next day Joe came to the stables to learn 
all he could before James left. He learned to 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


97 


sweep the stable, to bring in the straw and 
hay; he began to clean the harness, and 
helped to wash the carriage. As he was quite 
too short to do anything in the way of groom- 
ing Ginger and me, James taught him upon 
Merrylegs, for he was to have full charge of 
him, under John. He was a nice little bright 
fellow, and always came whistling to his work. 

Merrylegs was a good deal put out at being 
“mauled about,” as he said, “by a boy who 
knew nothing;” but toward the end of the sec- 
ond week he told me confidentially that he 
thought the boy would turn out well. 

At last the day came when James had to 
leave us; cheerful as he always was, he looked 
quite down-hearted that morning. 

“You see,” he said to John, “I am leaving a 
great deal behind ; my mother, and Betsy, and 
you, and a good master and mistress, and then 
the horses, and my old Merrylegs. At the new 
place there will not be a soul that I shall know. 
If it were not that I shall get a higher place, 
and be able to help my mother better, I don’t 
think I should have made up my mind to it; 
it is a real pinch, John.” 

“Ay, James, lad, so it is; but I should not 
think much of you, if you could leave your 
home for the first time and not feel it. Cheer 

7 Black Beauty 


98 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


up, you’ll make friends there; and if you get 
on well, as I am sure you will, it will be a fine 
thing for your mother, and she will be proud 
enough that you have got into such a good 
place as that.” 

So John cheered him up, but every one was 
sorry to lose James; as for Merrylegs, he pined 
after him for several days, and went quite off 
his appetite. So John took him out several 
mornings with a leading rein, when he exer- 
cised me, and, trotting and galloping by my 
side, got up the little fellow’s spirits again, 
and he was soon all right. 

Joe’s father would often come in and give a 
little help, as he understood the work; and 
Joe took a great deal of pains to learn, and 
John was quite encouraged about him. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

GOING FOR THE DOCTOR. 

One night, a few days after James had left, 
I had eaten my hay and was lying down in my 
straw fast asleep, when I was suddenly roused 
by the stable bell ringing very loud. I heard 
the door of John’s house open, and his feet 
running up to the Hall. He was back again 
in no time ; he unlocked the stable door, and 
came in, calling out, “Wake up, Beauty! you 
must go well now, if ever you did;’’ and 
almost before I could think, he had got the 
saddle on my back and the bridle on my head. 
He just ran around for his coat, and then 
took me at a quick trot up to the Hall door. 
The Squire stood there, with a lamp in his 
hand. 

“Now, John,’’ he said, “ride for your life — 
that is, for your mistress’ life; there is not a 
moment to lose. Give this note to Dr. White; 
give your horse a rest at the inn, and be back 
as soon as you can.” 

John said, “Yes, sir,’’ and was on my back 
in a minute. The gardener who lived at the 


100 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


lodge had heard the bell ring, and was ready 
with the gate open, and away we went through 
the park, and through the village, and down 
the hill till we came to the toll-gate. John 
called very loud and thumped upon the door; 
the man was soon out and flung open the gate. 

“Now,” said John, “do you keep the gate 
open for the doctor; here’s the money,” and 
off we went again. 

There was before us a long piece of level 
road by the river-side ; John said to me, “Now, 
Beauty, do your best,” and so I did; I wanted 
no whip nor spur, and for two miles I galloped 
as fast as I could lay my feet to the ground ; I 
don’t believe that my old grandfather, who 
Won the race at Newmarket, could have gone 
faster. When we came to the bridge, John 
pulled me up a little and patted my neck. 
“Well done, Beauty! good old fellow,” he said. 
'He would have let me go slower, but my spirit 
was up, and I was off again as fast as before. 
The air was frosty, the moon was bright ; it 
was very pleasant. We came through a vil- 
lage, then through a dark wood, then uphill, 
then downhill, till after an eight miles’ run, 
we came to the town, through the streets and 
into the market-place. It was all quite still 
except the clatter of my feet on the stones— 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


101 


everybody was asleep. The church clock 
struck three as we drew up at Doctor White’s 
door. John rang the bell twice, and then 
knocked at the door like thunder. A window 
was thrown up, and Doctor White, in his night- 
cap, put his head out and said, “What do you 
want?” 

Mrs. Gordon is very ill, sir ; master wants 
you to go at once ; he thinks she will die if you 
cannot get there. Here is a note. ’’ 

“Wait,” he said, “I will come.” 

He shut the window and was soon at the 
door. 

“The worst of it is,” he said, “that my horse 
has been out all day, and is quite done up ; my 
son has just been sent for, and he has taken 
the other. What is to be done? Can I have 
your horse?” 

“He has come at a gallop nearly all the way, 
sir, and I was to give him a rest here ; but I 
think my master would not be against it, if 
you think fit, sir.” 

‘ ‘ All right, ’ ’ he said ; “I will soon be ready. ’ * 

John stood by me and stroked my neck. I 
was very hot. The doctor came out with his 
riding-whip. 

“You need not take that, sir,” said John; 
“Black Beauty will go till he drops. Take 


102 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


care of him, sir, if you can ; I should not like 
any harm to come to him. ’ ’ 

“No, no, John,’’ said the doctor, “I hope 
not,’’ and in a minute we had left John far 
behind. 

I will not tell about our way back. The 
doctor was a heavier man than John, and not 
so good a rider; however, I did my very best. 
The man at the toll-gate had it open. When 
we came to the hill, the doctor drew me up. 
“Now, my good fellow,’’ he said, “take some 
breath.’’ I was glad he did, for I was nearly 
spent, but that breathing helped me on, and 
soon we were in the park. Joe was at the 
lodge gate ; my master was at the Hall door, 
for he had heard us coming. He spoke not a 
word; the doctor went into the house with 
him, and Joe led me to the stable. I was glad 
to get home ; my legs shook under me, and I 
could only stand and pant. I had not a dry 
hair on my body, the water ran down my legs, 
and I steamed all over — Joe used to say, like a 
pot on the fire. Poor Joe! he was young and 
small, and as yet he knew very little, and his 
father, who would have helped him, had been 
sent to the next village ; but I am sure he did 
the very best he knew. He rubbed my legs 
and my chest, but he did not put my warm 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


103 


cloth on me ; he thought I was so hot I should 
not like it. Then he gave me a pail full of 
water to drink ; it was cold and very good, and 
I drarfk it all ; then he gave me some hay and 
some com, and, thinking he had done right, 
he went away. Soon I began to shake and 
tremble, and turned deadly cold; my legs 
ached, my loins ached, and my chest ached, 
and I felt sore all over. Oh ! how I wished for 
my warm, thick cloth as I stood and trembled. 
I wished for John, but he had eight miles to 
walk, so I lay down in my straw and tried to 
go to sleep. After a long while I heard John 
at the door ; I gave a low moan, for I was in 
great pain. He was at my side in a moment, 
stooping down by me. I could not tell him 
how I felt, but he seemed to know it all ; he 
covered me up with two or three warm cloths, 
and then ran lib the house for some hot water; 
he made me some warm gruel, which I drank, 
and then I think I went to sleep. 

John seemed to be very much put out. I 
heard him say to himself over and over again, 
“Stupid boy! stupid boy! no cloth put on, and 
I dare say the water was cold, too ; boys are 
no good;” but Joe was a good boy, after all. 

I was now very ill; a strong inflammation 
had attacked my lungs, and I could not draw 


104 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


my breath without pain. John nursed me 
night and day; he would get up two or three 
times in the night to come to me. My master, 
too, often came to see me. “My poor 
Beauty,” he said one day, “my good horse, 
you saved your mistress’ life, Beauty; yes, 
you saved her life.” I was very glad to hear 
that, for it seems the Doctor had said if we had 
been a little longer it would have been too late. 
John told my master he never saw a horse go 
so fast in his life. It seems as if the horse 
knew what was the matter. Of course I did, 
though John thought not; at least I knew as 
much as this — that John and I must go at the 
top of our speed, and that it was for the sake 
of the mistress. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


105 


CHAPTER XIX. 

ONLY IGNORANCE. 

I do not know how long I was ill. Mr. 
Bond, the horse-doctor, came every day. 
One day he bled me ; John held a pail for the 
blood. I felt very faint after it, and thought 
I should die, and I believe they all thought so, 
too. 

Ginger and Merrylegs had been moved into 
the other stables, so that I might be quiet, for 
the fever made me very quick of hearing ; any 
little noise seemed quite loud, and I could tell 
every one’s footstep going to and from the 
house. I knew all that was going on. One 
night John had to give me a draught; Thomas 
Green came in to help him. After I had taken 
it and John had made me as comfortable as he 
could, he said he should stay half an hour to 
see how the medicine settled. Thomas said 
he would stay with him, so they went and sat 
down on a bench that had been brought into 
Merrylegs’ stall, and put down the lantern at 
their feet, that I might not be disturbed with 
the light. 

8 Black Beauty 


106 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


For a while both men sat silent, and then 
Tom Green said in a low voice, — 

“I wish, John, you’d say a bit of a kind 
word to Joe. The boy is quite broken-hearted; 
he can’t eat his meals, and he can’t smile. 
He says he knows it was all his fault, though 
he is sure he did the best he knew, and he says, 
if Beauty dies, no one will ever speak to him 
again. It goes to my heart to hear him. I 
think you might give -him just a word ; he is 
not a bad boy. ” 

After a short pause, John said slowly, “You 
must not be too hard upon me, Tom. I know 
he meant no harm; I never said he did; I 
know he is not a bad boy. But you see I am 
sore myself; that horse is the pride of my 
heart, to say nothing of his being such a fav- 
orite with the master and mistress; and to 
think that his life may be flung away in this 
manner is more than I can bear. But if you 
think I am hard on the boy, I will try to give 
him a good word to-morrow — that is, I mean 
if Beauty is better.” 

“Well, John, thank you. I knew you did 
not wish to be too hard, and I am glad you see 
it was only ignorance. ’ ’ 

John’s voice almost startled me as he 
answered, “Only ignorance! only ignorance! 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


107 


how ean you talk about only ignorance? 
Don’t you know that it is the worst thing in 
the world, next to wickedness? And which 
does the most mischief Heaven only knows. 
If people can say, ‘Oh! I did not know, I did 
not mean any harm, ’ they think it is all right. 
I suppose Martha Mulwash did not mean to 
kill that baby, when she dosed it with Dalby 
and soothing syrups ; but she did kill it, and 
was tried for manslaughter. ’ * 

“And served her right, too,” said Tom. A 
woman should not undertake to nurse a tender 
little child without knowing what is good and 
what is bad for it. ’’ 

“Bill Starkey,” continued John, “did not 
mean to frighten his brother into fits, when he 
dressed up like a ghost, and ran after him in 
the moonlight; but he did; and that bright, 
handsome little fellow, that might have been 
the pride of any mother’s heart, is just no 
better than an idiot, and never will be, if ho 
live to be eighty years old. You were a good 
deal cut up yourself, Tom, two weeks ago, 
when those young ladies left your hothouse 
door open, with a frosty east wind blowing 
right in ; you said it killed a good many of your 
plants. ” 

“A good many!” said Tom; “there was not 


108 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


one of the tender cuttings that was not nipped 
off. I shall have to strike all over again, and 
the worst of it is that I don't know where to 
go to get fresh ones. I was nearly mad when I 
came in and saw what was done. ” 

“And yet,” said John, “I am sure the young 
ladies did not mean it ; it was only ignorance. ’ ’ 
I heard no more of this conversation, for the 
medicine did well, and sent me to sleep, and 
in the morning I felt much better ; but I often 
thought of John’s words when I came to know 
more of the world. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


109 


CHAPTER XX. 

JOE GREEN. 

Joe Green went on very well; he learned 
quickly, and was so attentive and careful that 
John began to trust him in many things; but, 
as I have said, he was small of his age, and it 
was seldom that he was allowed to exercise 
either Ginger or me; but it so happened one 
morning that John was out with Justice in the 
luggage cart, and the master wanted a note to 
be taken immediately to a gentleman’s house, 
about three miles distant, and sent his orders 
for Joe to saddle me and take it; adding the 
caution that he was to ride steadily. 

The note was delivered, and we were quietly 
returning when we came to the brickfield. 
Here we saw a cart heavily laden with bricks ; 
the wheels had stuck fast in the stiff mud of 
some deep ruts, and the carter was shouting 
and flogging the two horses unmercifully. Joe 
pulled up. It was a sad sight. There were 
the two horses straining and struggling with 
all their might to drag the cart out, but they 
could not move it ; the sweat streamed from 


110 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


their legs and flanks, their sides heaved, and 
every muscle was strained, whilst the man 
fiercely pulling at the head of the fore horse r 
swore and lashed most brutally. 

“Hold hard,’’ said Joe; “don’t go on flog- 
ging the horses like that; the wheels are so 
stuck that they cannot move the cart. ’ ’ 

The man took no heed, but went on lashing. 

“Stop! pray stop!’’ said Joe. “I’ll help you 
to lighten the cart; they can’t move it now.” 

“Mind your own business, you impudent 
young rascal, and I’ll mind mine!’’ The man 
was in a towering passion and the worst for 
drink, and laid on the whip again. Joe turned 
my head, and the next moment we were going 
at a round gallop toward the house of the 
master brickmaker. I cannot say if John 
would have approved of our pace, but Joe and 
I were both of one mind, and so angry that we 
could not have gone slower. 

The house stood close by the roadside. Joe 
knocked at the door, and shouted, “Halloo! 
Is Mr. Clay at home?’’ The door was opened, 
and Mr. Clay himself came out. 

‘ ‘ Halloo, young man ! Y ou seem in a hurry ; 
any orders from the Squire this morning?’’ 

“No, Mr. Clay, but there’s a fellow in your 
brickyard flogging two horses to death. I told 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Ill 


him to stop, and he wouldn’t; I said I’d help 
him to lighten the cart, and he wouldn’t; so I 
have come to tell you. Pray, sir, go.” Joe’s 
voice shook with excitement. 

‘‘Thank ye, my lad,” said the man, running 
in for his hat; then pausing for a moment, 
“Will you give evidence of what you saw if I 
should bring the fellow up before a magis- 
trate?” 

“That I will,” said Joe, “and glad too.” 
The man was gone, and we were on our way 
home at a smart trot. 

“Why, what’s the matter with you, Joe? 
You look angry all over,” said John, as the 
boy flung himself from the saddle. 

“I am angry all over, I can tell you,” said 
the boy, and then in hurried, excited words he 
told all that had happened. Joe was usually 
such a quiet, gentle little fellow that it was 
wonderful to see him so roused. 

“Right, Joe! you did right, my boy, whether 
the fellow gets a summons or not. Many folks 
would have ridden by and said ’twas not their 
business to interfere. Now I say that with 
cruelty and oppression it is everybody’s busi- 
ness to interfere when they see it; you did 
right, my boy. ’ ’ 

Joe was quite calm by this time, and proud 


112 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


that John approved of him, and he cleaned out 
my feet, and rubbed me down with a firmer 
hand than usual. 

They were just going home to dinner when 
the footman came down to the stable to say that 
Joe was wanted directly in master’s private 
room ; there was a man brought up for ill-using 
horses, and Joe’s evidence was wanted. The 
boy flushed up to his forehead, and his eyes 
sparkled. “They shall have it,’’ said he. 

“Put yourself a bit straight,’’ said John. 
Joe gave a pull at his necktie and a twitch at 
his jacket, and was off in a moment. Our 
master being one of the county magistrates, 
cases were often brought to him to settle, or 
say what should be done. In the stable we 
heard no more for some time, as it was the 
men’s dinner-hour, but when Joe came next 
into the stable I saw he was in high spirits ; 
he gave me a good-natured slap, and said, 
“We won’t see such things done, will we, old 
fellow?’’ We heard afterwards that he had 
given his evidence so clearly, and the horses 
were in such an exhausted state, bearing 
marks of such brutal usage, that the carter was 
committed to take his trial, and might possibly 
be sentenced to two or three months in a 
prison. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


113 


It was wonderful what a change had come 
over Joe. John laughed, and said he had 
grown an inch taller in that week, and I believe 
he had. He was just as kind and gentle as 
before, but there was more purpose and deter- 
mination in all that he did — as if he had jumped 
at once from a boy into a man. 


8 


114 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXL 

THE PARTING. 

I had now lived in this happy place three 
years, but sad changes were about to come 
over us. We heard from time to time that our 
mistress was ill. The Doctor was often at the 
house, and the master looked grave and anxi- 
ous. Then we heard that she must leave her 
home at once, and go to a warm country for 
two or three years. The news fell upon the 
household like the tolling of a death-bell. 
Everybody was sorry ; but the master began 
directly to make arrangements for breaking 
up his establishment and leaving England. 
We used to hear it talked about in our stable; 
indeed, nothing else was talked about. 

John went about his work, silent and sad, 
and Joe scarcely whistled. There was a great 
deal of coming and going; Ginger and I had 
full work. 

The first of the party who went were Miss 
J*essie and Flora with their governess. They 
came to bid us good-bye. They hugged poor 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


115 


Merrylegs like an old friend, and so indeed he 
was. Then we heard what had been arranged 
for us. Master had sold Ginger and me to his 

old friend, the Earl of W , for he thought 

we should have a good place there. Merrylegs 
he had given to the Vicar, who was wanting a 
pony for Mrs. Blomefield, but it was on the 
condition that he should never be sold, and 
that when he was past work he should be shot 
and buried. 

Joe was engaged to take care of him and to 
help in the house, so I thought that Merrylegs 
was well off. John had the offer of several 
good places, but he said he should wait a little 
and look around. 

The evening before they left, the master 
came into the stable to give some directions, 
and to give his horses the last pat. He seemed 
very low-spirited; I knew that by his voice. 
I believe we horses can tell more by the voice 
than many men can. 

“Have you decided what to do, John?” he 
said. “I find you have not accepted either of 
those offers.” 

“No, sir; I have made up my mind that if I 
could get a situation with some first-rate colt- 
breaker and horse-trainer, it would be the 
right thing for me. Many young animals are 


116 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


frightened and spoiled by wrong treatment, 
which need not be if the right man took them 
in hand. I always get on well with horses, and 
if I could help some of them to a fair start I 
should feel as if I was doing some good. 
What do you think of it, sir?” 

‘‘I don’t know a man anywhere,” said mas- 
ter, “that I should think so suitable for it as 
yourself. You understand horses, and some- 
how they understand you, and in time you 
might set up for yourself ; I think you could 
not do better. If in anyway I can help you, 
write to me. I shall speak to my agent in 
London, and leave your character with him. ’ ’ 

Master gave John the name and address, 
and then he thanked him for his long and 
faithful service; but that was too much for 
John. ‘‘Pray, don’t, sir, I can’t bear it; you 
and my dear mistress have done so much for 
me that I could never repay it. But we shall 
never forget you, sir, and, please God, we may 
some day see mistress back again like herself; 
we must keep up hope, sir.” Master gave 
John his hand, but he did not speak, and they 
both left the stable. 

The last sad day had come ; the footman and 
the heavy luggage had gone off the day before, 
and there were only master and mistress, and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


117 


her maid. Ginger and I brought the carriage 
up to the Hall door for the last time. The 
servants brought out cushions and rugs and 
many other things; and when all were 
arranged, master came down the steps carrying 
the mistress in his arms (I was on the side 
next the house, and could see all that went 
on) ; he placed her carefully in the carriage, 
while the house servants stood round crying. 

“Good-bye again,” he said; “we shall not 
forget any of you,” and he got in. “Drive on, 
John.” 

Joe jumped up, and we trotted slowly 
through the park and through the village, 
where the people were standing at their doors 
to have a last look and to say, “God bless 
them.” 

When we reached the railway station, I think 
mistress walked from the carriage to the wait- 
ing-room. I heard her say in her own sweet 
voice, “Good-bye, John. God bless you. ” I 
felt the rein twitch, but John made no answer; 
perhaps he could not speak. As soon as Joe 
had taken the things out of the carriage, John 
called him to stand by the horses, while he 
went on the platform. Poor Joe! he stood 
close up to our heads to hide his tears. Very 
soon the train came puffing up into the station ; 


118 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


then two or three minutes, and the doors were 
slammed to; the guard whistled and the train 
glided away, leaving behind it only clouds of 
white smoke and some very heavy hearts. 

When it was quite out of sight, John came 
back. 

“We shall never see her again,” he said — - 
‘ * never. ” He took the reins, mounted the box, 
and with J oe drove slowly home ; but it was 
not our home now. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


119 


Part II. 


CHAPTER XXII. 

EARLSHALL. 

The next morning after breakfast, Joe put 
Merrylegs into the mistress’ low chaise to take 
him to the vicarage; he came first and said 
good-bye to us, and Merrylegs neighed to us 
from the yard. Then John put the saddle on 
Ginger and the leading rein on me, and rode 
us across the country about fifteen miles to 

Earlshall Park, where the Earl of W lived. 

There was a very fine house and a great deal 
of stabling. We went into the yard through a 
stone gateway and John asked for Mr. York. 
It was some time before he came. He was a 
fine-looking, middle-aged man, and his voice 
said at once that he expected to be obeyed. 
He was very friendly and polite to John, and 
after giving us a slight look he called a groom 
to take us to our boxes, and invited John to 
take some refreshment. 


120 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


We were taken to a light, airy stable, and 
placed in boxes adjoining each other, where we 
were rubbed down and fed. In about half an 
hour John and Mr. York, who was to be our 
new coachman, came in to see us. 

“Now, Mr. Manly,” he said, after carefully 
looking at us both, “I can see no fault in these 
horses; but we all know that horses have their 
peculiarities as well as men, and that sometimes 
they need different treatment. I should like 
to know if there is anything particular in either 
of these that you would like to mention. ” 

“Well,” said John, “I don’t believe there is 
a better pair of horses in the country, and right 
grieved I am to part with them, but they are 
not alike. The black one is the most perfect 
temper I ever knew; I suppose he has never 
known a hard word or blow since he was foaled, 
and all his pleasure seems to be to do what 
you wish ; but the chestnut, I fancy, must have 
had bad treatment; we heard as much from 
the dealer. She came to us snappish and 
suspicious, but when she found what sort of 
place ours was, it all went off by degrees ; for 
three years I have never seen the smallest sign 
of temper, and if she is well treated there is 
not a better, more willing animal than she is. 
But she has naturally a more irritable consti- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 121 

tution than the black horse; flies tease her 
more ; anything wrong in the harness frets her 
more; and if she were ill-used or unfairly 
treated she would not be unlikely to give tit 
for tat. You know that many high-mettled 
horses will do so.” 

“Of course,” said York, “I quite understand; 
but you know it is not easy in stables like these 
to have all the grooms just what they should 
be. I do my best, and there I must leave it. 
I’ll remember what you have said about the 
mare. ” 

They were going out of the stable, when 
John stopped, and said, “I had better mention 
that we have never used the check-rein with 
either of them ; the black-horse never had one 
on, and the dealer said it was the gag-bit that 
spoiled the other’s temper. ” 

“Well,” said York, “if they come here, they 
must wear the check-rein. I prefer a loose 
rein myself, and his lordship is always very 
reasonable about horses; but my lady — that’s 
another thing; she will have style, and if her 
carriage horses are not reigned up tight she 
wouldn’t look at them. I always stand out 
against the gag-bit, and shall do so, but it must 
be tight up when my lady rides!” 

“I am sorry for it, very sorry,” said John; 


122 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“but I must go now, or I shall lose the 
train. ” 

He came round to each of us to pat and speak 
to us for the last time ; his voice sounded very 
sad. 

I held my face close to him ; that was all I 
could do to say good-bye; and then he was 
gone, and I have never seen him since. 

The next day Lord W — came to look at us; 
he seemed pleased with our appearance. 

“I have great confidence in these horses,” 
he said, “from the character my friend Mr. 
Gordon has given me of them. Of course 
they are not a match in color, but my idea is 
that they will do very well for the carriage 
whilst we are in the country. Before we go to 
London I must try to match Baron ; the black 
horse, I believe, is perfect for riding.” 

York then told him what John had said about 
us. 

“Well,” said he, “you must keep an eye to 
the mare, and put the check^rein easy ; I dare 
say they will do very well with a little humor- 
ing at first. I’ll mention it to your lady.” 

In the afternoon we were harnessed and put 
in the carriage, and as the stable clock struck 
three we were led round to the front of the 
house. It was all very grand, and three or 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


123 


four times as large as the old house at Birtwick, 
but not half so pleasant, if a horse may have 
an opinion. Two footmen were standing 
ready, dressed in drab livery, with scarlet 
breeches and white stockings. Presently we 
heard the rustling sound of silk as my lady 
came down the flight of stone steps. She 
stepped round to look at us ; she was a tall, 
proud-looking woman, and did not seem pleased 
about something, but she said nothing, and 
got into the carriage. This was the first time 
of wearing a check-rein, and I must say, 
though it certainly was a nuisance not to be 
able to get my head down now and then, it did 
not pull my head higher than I was accus- 
tomed to carry it. I felt anxious about Ginger, 
but she seemed to be quiet and content. 

The next day at three o’clock we were again 
at the door, and the footmen as before; we 
heard the silk dress rustle, and the lady came 
down the steps, and in an imperious voice; 
she said, “York, you must put those horses’ 
heads higher, they are not fit to be seen. ’ ’ 

York got down, and said very respectfully, 
“I beg your pardon, my lady, but these horses 
have not been reined up for three years, and 
my lord said it would be safer to bring them 


124 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


to it by degrees ; but, if your ladyship pleases, 
I can take them up a little more.” 

‘ ‘ Do so, ’ ’ she said. 

York came round to our heads and shortened 
the rein himself, one hole, I think every little 
makes a difference, be it for better or worse, 
and that day we had a steep hill to go up. 
Then I began to understand what I had heard 
of. Of course I wanted to put my head for- 
ward and take the carriage up with a will as 
we had been used to do ; but no, I had to pull 
with my head up now, and that took all the 
spirit out of me, and the strain came on my 
back and legs. When we came in, Ginger 
said, “Now you see what it is like; but this is 
not bad, and if it does not get much worse than 
this I shall say nothing about it, for we are 
very well treated here; but if they strain me 
up tight, why, let ’em look out! I can’t bear 
it, and I won’t. ’’ 

Day by day, hole by hole, our bearing-reins 
were shortened, and instead of looking for- 
ward with pleasure to having my harness put 
on, as I used to do, I began to dread it. 
Ginger too seemed restless, though she said 
very little. At last I thought the worst was 
over ; for several days there was no more short- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 125 

ening, and I determined to make the best of it 
and do my duty, though it was now a constant 
harass instead of a pleasure ; but the worst was 
not come. 


126 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

A STRIKE FOR LIBERTY. 

One day my lady came down later than usual, 
and the silk rustled more than ever. 

“Drive to the Duchess of B ’s,” she 

said, and then after a pause, “Are you never 
going to get those horses’ heads up, York? 
Raise them at once, and let us have no more of 
this humoring and nonsense. * ' 

York came to me first, whilst the groom stood 
at Ginger’s head. He drew my head back and 
fixed the rein so tight that it was almost in- 
tolerable; then he went to Ginger, who was 
impatiently jerking her head up and down 
against the bit, as was her way now. She 
had a good idea of what was coming, and the 
moment York took the rein off the terret in 
order to shorten it, she took her opportunity, 
and reared up so suddenly that York had his 
nose roughly hit and his hat knocked off ; the 
groom was nearly thrown off his legs. At 
once they both flew to her head, but she was a 
match for them, and went on plunging, rear- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


12T 


ing, and kicking in a most desperate manner ; 
at last she kicked right over the carriage pole 
and fell down, after giving me a severe blow 
on my near quarter. There is no knowing 
what further mischief she might have done, 
had not York sat himself down flat on her head 
to prevent her struggling, at the same time 
calling out, “Unbuckle the black horse! Run 
for the winch and unscrew the carriage pole ! 
Cut the trace here, somebody, if you can’t 
unhitch it!” One of the footmen ran for the 
winch, and another brought a knife from the 
house. The groom soon set me free from Gin- 
ger and the carriage, and led me to my box. 
He just turned me in as I was, and ran back to 
York. I was much excited by what had hap- 
pened, and if I had ever been used to kick or 
rear I am sure I should have done it then ; but 
I never had, and there I stood, angry, sore in 
my leg, my head still strained up to the terret 
on the saddle, and no power to get it down. I 
was very miserable, and felt much inclined to 
kick the first person who came near me. 

Before long, however, Ginger was led in by 
two grooms, a good deal knocked about and 
bruised. York came with her and gave us 
orders, and then came to look at me. In a 
moment he let down my head. 


128 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“Confound these check-reins!” he said to 
himself; “I thought we should have some mis- 
chief soon. Master will be sorely vexed. But 
here, if a woman’s husband can’t rule her, of 
course a servant can’t; so I wash my hands of 
it, and if she can’t get to the Duchess’s garden 
party I can’t help it.” 

York did not say this before the men; he 
always spoke respectfully when they were by. 
Now he felt me all over, and soon found the 
place above my hock where I had been kicked. 
It was swelled and painful ; he ordered it to be 
sponged with hot water, and then some lotion 
was put on. 

Lord W was much put out when he 

learned what had happened; he blamed York 
for giving way to his mistress, to which he re- 
plied that in future he would much prefer to 
receive his orders only from his lordship ; but 
I think nothing came of it, for things went on 
the same as before. I thought York might 
have stood up better for his horses, but per- 
haps I am no judge. 

Ginger was never put into the carriage again, 
but when she was well of her bruises one of 

Lord W ’s younger sons said he should like 

to have her ; he was sure she would make a 
good hunter. As for me, I was obliged still to 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


129 


go in the carriage, and had a fresh partner 
called Max ; he had always been used to the 
tight rein. I asked him how it was he bore it. 

“Well,” he said, “I bear it because I must; 
but it is shortening my life, and it will shorten 
yours too, if you have to stick to it. ’ ’ 

“Do you think,” I said, “that our masters 
know how bad it is for us?” 

“I can’t say,” he replied, “but the dealers 
and the horse-doctors know it very well. I 
was at a dealer’s once, who was training me 
and another horse to go as a pair ; he was get- 
ting our heads up, and he said, a little higher 
and a little higher every day. A gentleman 
who was there asked him why he did so. 
‘Because,’ said he, ‘people won’t buy them un- 
less we do. The London people always want 
their horses to carry their heads high and to 
step high. Of course it is very bad for the 
horses, but then it is good for trade. The 
horses soon wear up, or get diseased, and they 
come for another pair.’ That,” said Max, “is 
what he said in my hearing, and you can judge 
for yourself. ’ ’ 

What I suffered with that rein for four long 
months in my lady’s carriage would be hard to 
describe; but I am quite sure that, had it 
lasted much longer, either my health or my 

9 Black Beauty 


130 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


temper would have given way. Before that, 
I never knew what it was to foam at the 
mouth, but now the action of the sharp bit on 
my tongue and jaw, and the constrained posi- 
tion of my head and throat, always caused me 
to froth at the mouth more or less. Some 
people think it very fine to see this, and say, 
“What fine, spirited creatures!’’ But it is just 
as unnatural for horses as for men to foam at 
the mouth ; it is a sure sign of some discomfort, 
and should be attended to. Besides this, there 
was a pressure on my windpipe, which often 
made my breathing very uncomfortable ; when 
I returned from my work, my neck and chest 
were strained and painful, my mouth and 
tongue tender, and I felt worn and depressed. 

In my old home I always knew that John 
and my master were my friends; but here, 
although in many ways I was well treated, I 
had no friend. York might have known, and 
very likely did know, how that rein harassed 
me ; but I suppose he took it as a matter of 
course that could not be helped; at any rate, 
nothing was done to relieve me. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


131 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE LADY ANNE, OR A RUNAWAY HORSE. 

Early in the spring, Lord W and part of 

his family went up to London, and took York 
with them. I and Ginger and some other 
horses were left at home for use, and the head 
groom was left in charge. 

The Lady Harriet, who remained at the 
Hall, was a great invalid, and never went out 
in the carriage, and the Lady Anne preferred 
riding on horseback with her brother or 
cousins. She was a perfect horsewoman, and 
as gay and gentle as she was beautiful. She 
chose me for her horse, and named me “Black 
Auster.“ I enjoyed these rides very much 
in the clear cold air, sometimes with Ginger, 
sometimes with Lizzie. This Lizzie was a 
bright bay mare, almost thoroughbred, and a 
great favorite with the gentlemen, on account 
of her fine action and lively spirit ; but Ginger, 
who knew more of her than I did, told me she 
was rather nervous. 

There was a gentleman of the name of Blan- 


132 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


tyre staying at the Hall; he always rode Lizzie 
and praised her so much that one day Lady 
Anne ordered the side-saddle to be put on her, 
and the other saddle on me. When we came 
to the door, the gentleman seemed very un- 
easy. 

“How is this?” he said. “Are you tired of 
your good Black Auster?” 

“Oh, no, not at all,” she replied, “but I am 
amiable enough to let you ride him for once, 
and I will try your charming Lizzie. You 
must confess that in size and appearance she is 
far more like a lady’s horse than my own favo- 
rite.’’ 

“Do let me advise you not to mount her, ’ ’ 
he said; “she is a charming creature, but she 
is too nervous for a lady. I assure you, she is 
not perfectly safe ; let me beg you to have the 
saddles changed.” 

“My dear cousin,” said Lady Anne, laugh - 
ing, “pray do not trouble your good careful 
head about me. I have been a horsewoman 
ever since I was a baby, and I have followed 
the hounds a great many times, though I know 
you do not approve of ladies hunting ; but still 
that is the fact, and I intend to try this Lizzie 
that you gentlemen are all so fond of; so please 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


133 


help me to mount, like a good friend as you 
are. ’ ’ 

There was no more to be said ; he placed her 
carefully on the saddle, looked to the bit and 
curb, gave the reins gently into her hand, and 
then mounted me. Just as we were moving 
off, a footman came out with a slip of paper 
and message from the Lady Harriet. “Would 
they ask this question for her at Dr. Ashley’s, 
and bring the answer. ’ ’ 

The village was about a mile off, and the 
doctor’s house was the last in it. We went 
along gayly enough till we came to his gate. 
There was a short drive up to the house be- 
tween tall evergreens. Blantyre alighted at 
the gate, and was going to open it for Lady 
Anne, but she said, “I will wait for you here, 
and you can hang Auster’s rein on the gate.’’ 

He looked at her doubtfully. ‘ ‘ I will not be 
five minutes,” he said. 

“Oh, do not hurry yourself; Lizzie and I 
shall not run away from you. ’ ’ 

He hung my rein on one of the iron spike, 
and was soon hidden amongst the trees. Liz- 
zie was standing quietly by the side of the road 
a few paces off, with her back to me. My 
young mistress was sitting easily with a loose 
rein, humming a little song. I listened to my 


134 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


rider’s footsteps until they reached the house, 
and heard him knock at the door. There was 
a meadow on the opposite side of the road, the 
gate of which stood open; just then, some cart 
horses and several young colts came trotting 
out in a very disorderly manner, whilst a boy 
behind was cracking a great whip. The colts 
were wild and frolicsome, and one of them 
bolted across the road, and blundered up 
against Lizzie’s hind legs; and whether it was 
the stupid colt, or the loud cracking of the 
whip, or both together, I cannot say, but she 
gave a violent kick, and dashed off into a head- 
long gallop. It was so sudden that Lady Anne 
was nearly unseated, but she soon recovered 
herself. I gave a loud shrill neigh for help; 
again and again I neighed, pawing the ground 
impatiently, and tossing my head to get the 
rein loose. I had not long to wait. Blantyre 
came running to the gate ; he looked anxiously 
about, and just caught sight of the flying 
figure, now far away on the road. In an in- 
stant he sprang to the saddle. I needed no 
whip, no spur, for I was as eager as my rider ; 
he saw it, and giving me a free rein, and lean- 
ing a little forward, we dashed after them. 

For about a mile and a half the road ran 
straight, and then bent to the right, after 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


135 


which it divided into two roads. Long Defore 
we came to the bend, she was out of sight. 
Which way had she turned? A woman was 
standing at her garden gate, shading her eyes 
with her hand, and looking eagerly up the 
road. Scarcely drawing the rein, Blantyre 
shouted, “Which way?” “To the right!” 
cried the woman, pointing with her hand, and 
away we went up the right-hand road; then 
for a moment we caught sight of her ; another 
bend and she was hidden again. Several 
times we caught glimpses, and then lost them. 
We scarcely seemed to gain ground upon them 
at all. An old road-mender was standing near 
a heap of stones, his shovel dropped and his 
hands raised. As we came near he made a 
sign to speak. Blantyre drew the rein a little. 
“To the common, to the common, sir; she has 
turned off there.” I knew this common very 
well; it was for the most part very uneven 
ground, covered with heather and dark green 
furze bushes, with here and there a scrubby 
old thorn- tree ; there were also open spaces of 
fine short grass, with ant-hills and mole-turns 
everywhere ; the worst place I ever knew for 
a headlong gallop. 

We had hardly turned on the common, when 
we caught sight again of the green habit flying 


136 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


on before us. My lady’s hat was gone, and 
her long brown hair was streaming behind 
her. Her head and body were thrown back, 
as if she were pulling with all her remaining 
strength and as if that strength were nearly 
exhausted. 1 1 was clear that the roughness of 
the ground had very much lessened Lizzie’s 
speed, and there seemed a chance that we 
might overtake her. 

Whilst we were on the high-road, Blantyre 
had given me my head ; but now, with a light 
hand and a practiced eye, he guided me over 
the ground in such a masterly manner that my 
pace was scarcely slackened, and we were 
decidedly gaining on them. 

About half-way across the heath there had 
been a wide dike recently cut, and the earth 
from the cutting was cast up roughly on the 
other side. Surely, this would stop them! 
But no ; with scarcely a pause, Lizzie took the 
leap, stumbled among the rough clods, and 
fell. Blantyre groaned, “Now, Auster, do 
your best!’’ He gave me a steady rein. I 
gathered myself well together, and with one 
determined leap cleared both dike and bank. 

Motionless among the heather, with her face 
to the earth, lay my poor young mistress. 
Blantyre kneeled down and called her name ; 


13T 


BLACK BEAUTY. 

there was no sound. Gently he turned her 
face upward; it was ghastly white, and the 
eyes were closed. “Annie, dear Annie, do 
speak!” But there was no answer. He un- 
buttoned her habit, loosened her collar, felt 
her hands and wrist, then started up and 
looked wildly round him for help. 

At no great distance there were two men 
cutting turf, who, seeing Lizzie running wild 
without a rider, had left their work to catch 
her. 

Blantyre’s hallo soon brought them to the 
spot. The foremost man seemed much 
troubled at the sight, and asked what he could 
do. 

“Can you ride?” 

“Well, sir, I bean’t much of a horseman, but 
I’d risk my neck for Lady Anne; she was un- 
common good to my wife in the winter. ’ ’ 

“Then mount this horse, my friend — your 
neck will be quite safe — and ride to the doc- 
tor’s and ask him to come instantly; then on to 
the Hall ; tell them all that you know, and bid 
them send me the carriage with Lady Anne’s 
maid and help. I shall stay here.” 

“All right, sir, I’ll do my best, and I pray 
God the dear young lady may open her eyes 
soon.” Then seeing the other man, he called 

10 Black Beauty 


138 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


out, “Here, Joe, run for some water, and tell 
my missis to come as quick as she can to the 
Lady Anne. ” 

He then somehow scrambled into the saddle, 
and with a “Gee up” and a clap on my sides 
with both his legs, he started on his journey, 
making a little circuit to avoid the dike. He 
had no whip, which seemed to trouble him ; 
but my pace soon cured that difficulty, and he 
found the best thing he could do was to stick 
to the saddle ; and hold me in, which he did 
manfully. I shook him as little as I could 
help, but once or twice on the rough ground 
he called out, “Steady! Woah! Steady!” On 
the high-road we were all right; and at the 
doctor’s and the Hall he did his errand like a 
good man and true. They asked him in to 
take a drop of something. “No, no,’’ he said, 
“I’ll be back to ’em again by a short-cut 
through the fields, and be there afore the car- 
riage. ’’ 

There was a great deal of hurry and excite- 
ment after the news became known. I was 
just turned into my box ; the saddle and bridle 
were taken off, and a cloth thrown over me. 

Ginger was saddled and sent off in great 
haste for Lord George, and I soon heard the 
carriage roll out of the yard. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


139 


It seemed a long time before Ginger came, 
back, and before we were left alone ; and then 
she told me all that she had seen. 

“I can’t tell much,” she said. 

“We went a gallop nearly all the way, and 
got there just as the doctor rode up. There 
was a woman sitting on the ground with the 
lady’s head in her lap. The doctor poured 
something into her mouth, but all that I heard 
was, ‘She is not dead. ’ Then I was led off by 
a man to a little distance. After a while she 
was taken to the carriage, and we came home 
together. I heard my master say to a gentle- 
man who stopped him to inquire, that he hoped 
no bones were broken, but that she had not 
spoken yet.’’ 

When Lord George took Ginger for hunt- 
ing, York shook his head; he said it ought to 
be a steady hand to train a horse for the first 
season, and not a random rider like Lord 
George. 

Ginger used to like it very much, but some- 
times when she came back I could see that she 
had been very much strained, and now and 
then she gave a short cough. She had too 
much spirit to complain, but I could not help 
feeling anxious about her. 

Two days after the accident, Blantyre paid 


140 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


me a visit : he patted me and praised me very 
much ; he told Lord George that he was sure 
the horse knew of Annie’s danger as well as 
he did. “I could not have held him in if I 
would,” said he. “She ought never to ride 
any other horse. ’ ’ I found by their conversa- 
tion that my young mistress was now out of 
danger, and would soon be able to ride again. 
This was good news to me, and I looked for- 
ward to a happy life. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


141 


CHAPTER XXV. 

REUBEN SMITH. 

I must now say a little about Reuben Smith, 
who was left in charge of the stables when 
York went to London. No one more thor- 
oughly understood his business than he did, 
and when he was all right there could not be 
a more faithful or valuable man. He was 
gentle and very clever in his management of 
horses, and could doctor them almost as well 
as a farrier, for he had lived two years with a 
veterinary surgeon. He was a first-rate 
driver ; he could take a four-in-hand or a tan- 
dem as easily as a pair. He was a handsome 
man, a good scholar, and had very pleasant 
manners. I believe everybody liked him ; cer- 
tainly the horses did. The only wonder was 
that he should be in an under situation, and 
not in the place of a head coachman like York; 
but he had one great fault, and that was the 
love of drink. He was not like some men, 
always at it ; he used to keep steady for weeks 
or months together, and then he would break 


142 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


out and have a “bout” of it, as York called it, 
and be a disgrace to himself, a terror to his 
wife, and a nuisance to all that had to do with 
him. He was, however, so useful that two or 
three times York had hushed the matter up, 
and kept it from the Earl’s knowledge; but 
one night, when Reuben had to drive a party 
home from a ball, he was so drunk that he 
could not hold the reins, and a gentleman of 
the party had to mount the box and drive the 
ladies home. Of course, this could not be hid- 
den, and Reuben was at once dismissed; his 
poor wife and little children had to turn out of 
the pretty cottage by the park gate and go 
where they could. Old Max told me all this, 
for it happened a good while ago ; but shortly 
before Ginger and I came, Smith had been 
taken back again. York had interceded for 
him with the Earl, who is very kind-hearted, 
and the man had promised faithfully that he 
would never taste another drop as long as he 
lived there. He had kept his promise so well 
that York thought he might be safely trusted 
to fill his place whilst he was away, and he was 
so clever and honest that no one else seemed 
so well fitted for it. 

It was now early in April, and the family 
was expected home some time in May. The 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


143 


light brougham was to be fresh done up, and 
as Colonel Blantyre was obliged to return to 
his regiment, it was arranged that Smith 
should drive him to the town in it, and ride 
back ; for this purpose he took the saddle with 
him, and I was chosen for the journey. At 
the station the Colonel put some money into 
Smith’s hand and bid him good-bye, saying, 
“Take care of your young mistress, Reuben, 
and don’t let Black Auster be hacked about by 
any random young prig that wants to ride him 
— keep him for the lady. ’ ’ 

We left the carriage at the maker’s, and 
Smith rode me to the White Lion, and ordered 
the ostler to feed me well, and have me ready 
for him at four o’clock. A nail in one of my 
front shoes had started as I came along, but 
the ostler did not notice it till just about four 
o’clock. Smith did not come into the yard till 
five, and then he said he should not leave till t 
six, as he had met with some old friends. The j 
man then told him of the nail, and asked if he H 
should have the shoe looked to. 

“No,” said Smith, “that will be all right till 
we get home. ’’ 

He spoke in a very loud, off-hand way, and 
I thought it very unlike him not to see about 
the shoe, as he was generally wonderfully par- 


144 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


ticular about loose nails in our shoes. He did 
not come at six, nor seven, nor eight, and it 
was nearly nine o’clock before he called for 
me, and then it was with a loud, rough voice. 
He seemed in a very bad temper, and abused 
the ostler, though I could not tell what for. 

The landlord stood at the door and said, 
“Have a care, Mr. Smith!” but he answered 
angrily with an oath; and almost before he 
was out of the town he began to gallop, fre- 
quently giving me a sharp cut with his whip, 
though I was going at full speed. The moon 
had not yet risen, and it was very dark. The 
roads were stony, having been recently mended ; 
going over them at this pace, my shoe became 
loose, and when we were near the turnpike 
gate it came off. 

If Smith had been in his right senses he 
would have been sensible of something wrong 
in my pace, but he was too madly drunk to 
notice anything. 

Beyond the turnpike was a long piece of 
road, upon which fresh stones had just been 
laid — large, sharp stones, over which no horse 
could be driven quickly without risk of dan- 
ger. Over this road, with one shoe gone, I 
was forced to gallop at my utmost speed, my 
rider meanwhile cutting into me with his whip, 



I stumbled and fell on both my knees.'’ — Page 145. 

Black Beauty. 




BLACK BEAUTY. 


145 


and with wild curses urging me to go still 
faster. Of course, my shoeless foot suffered 
dreadfully; the hoof was broken and split 
down to the very quick, and the inside was 
terribly cut by the sharpness of the stones. 

This could not go on ; no horse could keep 
his footing under such circumstances ; the pain 
was too great. I stumbled, and fell with vio- 
lence on both my knees. Smith was flung off 
by my fall, and, owing to the speed I was go- 
ing at, he must have fallen with great force. I 
soon recovered my feet and limped to the side 
of the road, where it was free from stones. 
The moon had just risen above the hedge, and 
by its light I could see Smith lying a few yards 
beyond me. He did not rise; he made one 
slight effort to do so, and then there was a heavy 
groan. I could have groaned, too, for I was 
suffering intense pain both from my foot and 
knees; but horses are used to bear their pain 
in silence. I uttered no sound, but I stood 
there and listened. One more heavy groan 
from Smith ; but though he now lay in the full 
moonlight, I could see no motion. I could do 
nothing for him nor myself, but, oh! how I 
listened for the sound of horse, or wheels, or 
footsteps! The road was not much frequented, 
and at this time of the night we might stay for 
10 


146 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


hours before help came to us. I stood watch- 
ing and listening. It was a calm, sweet April 
night; there were no sounds but a few low 
notes of a nightingale, and nothing moved but 
the white clouds near the moon and a brown 
owl that flitted over the hedge. It made me 
think of the summer nights long ago, when I 
used to lie beside my mother in the green 
pleasant meadow at Farmer Grey’s. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


147 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

HOW IT ENDED. 

It must have been nearly midnight when I 
heard at a great distance the sound of a horse’s 
feet. Sometimes the sound died away, then it 
grew clearer again and nearer. The road to 
Earlshall led through woods that belonged to 
the Earl; the sound came in that direction, 
and I hoped it might be some one coming in 
search of us. As the sound came nearer and 
nearer, I was almost sure I could distinguish 
Ginger’s step; a little nearer still, and I could 
tell she was in the dog-cart. I neighed loudly, 
and was overjoyed to hear an answering neigh 
from Ginger and men’s voices. They came 
slowly over the stones, and stopped at the dark 
figure that lay upon the ground. 

One of the men jumped out, and stooped 
down over it. “It is Reuben,’’ he said, “and 
he does not stir!” 

The other man followed, and bent over him. 
“He’s dead, ’’ he said ; “feel how cold his hands 


are. 


148 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


They raised him up, but there was no life, 
and his hair was soaked with blood. They laid 
him down again, and came and looked at me. 
They soon saw my cut knees. 

“Why, the horse has been down and thrown 
him! Who would have thought the black 
horse would have done that? Nobody 
thought he could fall. Reuben must have 
been lying here for hours ! Odd, too, that the 
horse has not moved from the place. ’ ’ 

Robert then attempted to lead me forward. 
I made a step, but almost fell again. 

“Hallo! he’s bad in his foot as well as his 
knees. Look here — his hoof is cut all to 
pieces ; he might well come down, poor fellow ! 
I tell you what, Ned, I’m afraid it hasn’t been 
all right with Reuben. Just think of his rid- 
ing a horse over these stones without a shoe ! 
Why, if he had been in his right senses, he 
would just as soon have tried to ride him over 
the moon. I’m afraid it has been the old thing 
over again. Poor Susan! she looked awfully 
pale when she came to my house to ask if he 
had not come home. She made believe she 
was not a bit anxious, and talked of a lot of 
things that might have kept him. But for all 
that, she begged me to go and meet him. But 
what must we do? There’s the horse to get 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


149 


home as well as the body, and that will be no 
easy matter. ” 

Then followed a conversation between them, 
till it was agreed that Robert, as the groom, 
should lead me, and that Ned must take the 
body. It was a hard job to get it into the dog- 
cart, for there was no one to hold Ginger ; but 
she knew as well as I did what was going on, 
and stood as still as a stone. I noticed that, 
because, if she had a fault, it was that she was 
impatient in standing. 

Ned started off very slowly with his sad 
load, and Robert came and looked at my foot 
again; then he took his handkerchief and 
bound it closely round, and so he led me home. 
I shall never forget that night walk ; it was 
more than three miles. Robert led me on 
very slowly, and I limped and hobbled on as 
well as I could with great pain. I am sure he 
was sorry for me, for he often patted and 
encouraged me, talking to me in a pleasant 
voice. 

At last I reached my own box, and had some 
corn; and after Robert had wrapped up my 
knees in wet cloths, he tied up my foot in a 
bran poultice, to draw out the heat and cleanse 
it before the horse-doctor saw it in the morn- 


150 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


ing, and I managed to get myself down on the 
straw, and slept in spite of the pain. 

The next day, after the farrier had exam- 
ined my wounds, he said he hoped the joint 
was not injured; and if so, I should not be 
spoiled for work, but I should never lose the 
blemish. I believe they did the best to make 
a good cure, but it was a long and painful one. 
Proud flesh, as they called it, came up in my 
knees, and was burnt out with caustic; and 
when at last it was healed, they put a blister- 
ing fluid over the front of both knees to bring 
all the hair off ; they had some reason for this, 
and I suppose it was all right. 

As Smith’s death had been so sudden, and 
no one was there to see it, there was an inquest 
held. The landlord and hostler at the White 
Lion, with several other people, gave evidence 
that he was intoxicated when he started from 
the inn. The keeper of the toll-gate said he 
rode at a hard gallop through the gate; and 
my shoe was picked up amongst the stones, so 
that the case was quite plain to them, and I 
was cleared of all blame. 

Everybody pitied Susan. She was nearly 
out of her mind ; she kept saying over and over 
again, “Oh! he was so good — so good! It was 
all that cursed drink ; why will they sell that 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


151 


cursed drink? O Reuben, Reuben!” So she 
went on till after he was buried ; and then, as 
she had no home or relations, she with her six 
little children, was obliged once more to leave 
the pleasant home by the tall oak-trees, and go 
into that great gloomy Union House. 


152 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

RUINED, AND GOING DOWNHILL. 

As soon as my knees were sufficiently healed 
I was turned into a small meadow for a month 
or two; no other creature was there, and 
though I enjoyed the liberty and the sweet 
grass, yet I had been so long used to society 
that I felt very lonely. Ginger and I had 
become fast friends, and now I missed her 
company extremely. I often neighed when I 
heard horses’ feet passing in the road, but I 
seldom got an answer; till one morning the 
gate was opened, and who should come in but 
dear old Ginger. The man slipped off her halter 
and left her there. With a joyful whinny I 
trotted up to her ; we were both glad to meet, 
but I soon found that it was not for our pleasure 
that she was brought to be with me. Her 
story would be too long to tell, but the end of 
it was that she had been ruined by hard riding, 
and was now turned off to see what rest 
would do. 

Lord George was young and would take no 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


153 


warning; he was a hard rider, and would hunt 
whenever he could get the chance, quite care- 
less of his horse. Soon after I left the stable 
there was a steeplechase, and he determined to 
ride. Though the groom told him she was a 
little strained, and was not fit for the race, he 
did not believe it, and on the day of the race 
urged Ginger to keep up with the foremost 
riders. With her high spirit, she strained her- 
self to the utmost; she came in with the first 
three horses, but her wind was touched, 
beside which he was too heavy for her, and her 
back was strained. “And so,” she said, “here 
we are, ruined in the prime of our youth and 
strength, you by a drunkard, and I by a fool ; 
it is very hard.” We both felt in ourselves 
that we were not what we had been. How- 
ever, that did not spoil the pleasure we had in 
each other’s company ; we did not gallop about 
as we once did, but we used to feed, and lie 
down together, and stand for hours under one 
of the shady lime-trees with our heads close to 
each other; and so we passed our time till the 
family returned from town. 

One day we saw the Earl come into the 
meadow, and York was with him. Seeing who 
it was, we stood still under our lime-tree, and 
let them come up to us. They examined us 


154 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


both carefully. The Earl seemed much 
annoyed. 

“There is three hundred pounds flung away 
for no earthly use,” said he; “but what I care 
most for is that these horses of my old friend, 
who thought they would find a good home with 
me, are ruined. The mare shall have a twelve- 
month’s run, and we shall see what that will 
do for her; but the black one must be sold; ’tis 
a great pity, but I could not have knees like 
these in my stables.” 

“No, my lord, of course not,” said York; 
“but he might get a place where appearance is 
not of much consequence, and still be well 
treated. I know a man in Bath, the master 
of some livery stables, who often wants 
a good horse at a low figure; I know he 
looks well after his horses. The inquest 
cleared the horse’s character, and your lord- 
ship’s recommendation, or mine, would be 
sufficient warrant for him. ’ ’ 

“You had better write to him, York. I 
should be more particular about the place than 
the money he would fetch. ’ ’ 

After this they left us. 

“They’ll soon take you away,’’ said Ginger, 
“and I shall lose the only friend I have, and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


155 


most likely we shall never see each other 
again. ’Tis a hard world!” 

About a week after this, Robert came into 
the field with a halter, which he slipped over 
my head, and led me away. There was no 
leave-taking of Ginger; we neighed to each 
other as I was led off, and she trotted anxi- 
ously along by the hedge, calling to me as long 
as she could hear the sound of my feet. 

Through the recommendation of York, I was 
bought by the master of the livery stables. I 
had to go by train, which was new to me, and 
required a good deal of courage the first time; 
but as I found the puffing, rushing, whistling, 
and, more than all, the trembling of the horse- 
box in which I stood did me no real harm, I 
soon took it quietly. 

When I reached the end of my journey, I 
found myself in a tolerably comfortable stable, 
and well attended to. These stables were not 
so airy and pleasant as those I had been used 
to. The stalls were laid on a slope instead of 
being level, and as my head was kept tied to 
the manger, I was always obliged to stand on 
the slope, which was very fatiguing. Men do 
not seem to know yet that horses can do more 
work if they can stand comfortably and can 
turn about; however, I was well fed and well 


156 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


cleaned, and, on the whole, I think our master 
took as much care of us as he could. He kept 
a good many horses and carriages of different 
kinds for hire. Sometimes his own men drove 
them ; at others, the horse and chaise were let 
to gentlemen or ladies who drove themselves. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


157 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

A JOB HORSE AND HIS DRIVERS. 

Hitherto I had always been driven by people 
who at least knew how to drive; but in this 
place I was to get my experience of all the 
different kinds of bad and ignorant driving to 
which we horses are subjected; for I was a 
"‘job horse,” and was let out to all sorts of 
people who wished to hire me; and as I was 
good-tempered and gentle, I think I was oftener 
let out to the ignorant drivers than some of 
the other horses, because I could be depended 
upon. It would take a long time to tell of all 
the different styles in which I was driven, but 
I will mention a few of them. 

First, there were the tight-rein drivers — men 
who seemed to think that all depended on 
holding the reins as hard as they could, never 
relaxing the pull on the horse’s mouth, or giv- 
ing him the least liberty of movement. They 
are always talking about ‘‘keeping the horse 
well in hand,” and ‘‘holding a horse up,” just 
as if a horse was not made to hold himself up. 


158 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Some poor broken-down horses, whose 
mouths have been made hard and insensible 
by just such drivers as these, may, perhaps, 
find some support in it ; but for a horse who 
can depend upon his own legs, and who has a 
tender mouth and is easily guided, it is not 
only tormenting, but it is stupid. 

Then there are the loose-rein drivers, who 
let the reins lie easily on our backs, and their 
own hand rest lazily on their knees. Of course 
such gentlemen have no control over a horse, 
if anything happens suddenly. If a horse 
shies, or starts, or stumbles, they are nowhere, 
and cannot help the horse or themselves, till 
the mischief is done. Of course for myself I 
had no objection to it, as I was not in the 
habit of either starting or stumbling, and had 
only been used to depend on my driver for 
guidance and encouragement; still, one likes 
to feel the rein a little in going downhill, and 
likes to know that one’s driver is not gone to 
sleep. 

Besides, a slovenly way of driving gets a 
horse into bad and often lazy habits ; and when 
he changes hands he has to be whipped out of 
them with more or less pain and trouble. 
Squire Gordon always kept us to our best paces 
and our best manners. He said that spoiling 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


159 


a horse, and letting him get into bad habits, 
was just as cruel as spoiling a child, and both 
had to suffer for it afterwards. 

Besides, these drivers are often careless alto- 
gether, and will attend to anything else more 
than their horses. I went out in the phaeton 
one day with one. of them ; he had a lady and 
two children behind. He flopped the reins 
about as we started, and of course gave me 
several unmeaning cuts with the whip, though 
I was fairly off. There had been a good deal 
of road-mending going on, and even where the 
stones were not freshly laid down there were 
a great many loose ones about. My driver 
was laughing and joking with the lady and the 
children, and talking about the country to the 
right and the left; but he never thought it 
worth while to keep an eye on his horse, or to 
drive on the smoothest parts of the road ; and 
so it easily happened that I got a stone in one 
of my forefeet. 

Now, if Mr. Gordon, or John, or in fact any 
good driver, had been there, he would have 
seen that something was wrong, before I had 
gone three paces. Or even if it had been 
dark, a practiced hand would have felt by the 
rein that there was something wrong in the 
step, and they would have got down and picked 


160 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


out the stone. But this man went on laughing 
and talking, whilst at every step the stone 
became more firmly wedged between my shoe 
and the frog of my foot. The stone was sharp 
on the inside and round on the outside, which, 
as every one knows, is the most dangerous 
kind that a horse can pick up; at the same 
time cutting his foot, and making him most 
liable to stumble and fall. 

Whether the man was partly blind, or only 
very careless, I can’t say; but he drove me 
with that stone in my foot for a good half-mile 
before he saw anything. By that time I was 
going so lame with the pain that at last he 
saw it, and called out, “Well, here’s a go! 
Why, they have sent us out with a lame horse \ 
What a shame!” 

He then chucked the reins and flipped about 
with the whip, saying, “Now, then, it’s no use 
playing the old soldier with me; there’s the 
journey to go, and it’s no use turning lame 
and lazy. ’ ’ 

Just at this time a farmer came riding up on 
a brown cob ; he lifted his hat and pulled up. 

“I beg your pardon, sir,” he said, “but I 
think there is something the matter with your 
horse ; he goes very much as if he had a stone 
in his shoe. If you will allow me, I will look 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


161 


at his feet; these loose scattered stones are 
confounded dangerous things for the horses.” 

“He’s a hired horse,” said my driver. “I 
don’t know what’s the matter with him, but it 
is a great shame to send out a lame beast like 
this.” 

The farmer dismounted, and, slipping his 
rein over his arm, at once took up my near 
foot. 

“Bless me, there’s a stone! Lame! I 
should think so!” 

At first he tried to dislodge it with his hand ; 
but as it was now very tightly wedged, he drew 
a stone-pick out of his pocket, and very care- 
fully, and with some trouble, got it out. Then 
holding it up, he said, “There, that’s the stone 
your horse had picked up; it is a wonder he 
did not fall down and break his knees into the 
bargain!” 

“Well, to be sure!” said my driver; “that 
is a queer thing! I never knew that horses 
picked up stones before.” 

“Didn’t you?” said the farmer rather con- 
temptuously; “but they do, though, and the 
best of them will do it, and can’t help it some- 
times on such roads as these. And if you 
don’t want to lame your horse, you must look 
sharp and get them out quickly. This foot is 

11 Black Beauty 


162 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


very much bruised, ’ ’ he said, setting it gently 
down and patting me. “If I might advise, 
sir, you had better drive him gently for a 
while; the foot is a good deal hurt, and the 
lameness will not go off directly. ’ ’ 

Then mounting his cob and raising his hat 
to the lady, he trotted off. 

When he was gone, my driver began to flop 
the reins about and whip the harness, by which 
I understood that I was to go on, which of 
course I did, glad that the stone was gone, but 
still in a good deal of pain. 

This was the sort of experience we job horses 
often came in for. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


163 


CHAPTER XXIX. 

COCKNEYS. 

Then there is the steam-engine style of 
driving ; these drivers were mostly people from 
towns, who never had a horse of their own, 
and generally traveled by rail. 

They always seemed to think that a horse 
was something like a steam-engine, only 
smaller. At any rate, they think that if only 
they pay for it, a horse is bound to go just as 
far and just as fast and with just as heavy a 
load as they please. And be the roads heavy 
and muddy, or dry and good; be they stony 
or smooth, uphill or downhill, it is all the same 
— on, on, on, one must go, at the same pace, 
with no relief and no consideration. 

These people never think of getting out to 
walk up a steep hill. Oh, no, they have paid 
to ride, and ride they will! The horse? Oh, 
he’s used to it! What were horses made for, 
if not to drag people uphill? Walk? A good 
joke indeed ! And so the whip is plied and 
the rein is chucked, and often a rough, scold- 


164 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


ing voice cries out, “Go along, you lazy beast!” 
And then another slash of the whip, when all 
the time we are doing our very best to get 
along, uncomplaining and obedient, though 
often sorely harassed and down-hearted. 

This steam-engine style of driving wears us 
up faster than any other kind. I would far 
rather go twenty miles with a good considerate 
driver than I would go ten with some of these; 
it would take less out of me. 

Another thing, they scarcely ever put on the 
brake, however steep the downhill may be, 
and thus bad accidents sometimes happen ; or 
if they do put it on, they often forget to take 
it off at the bottom of the hill, and more than 
once I have had to pull half-way up the next 
hill, with one of the wheels held by the brake, 
before my driver chose to think about it ; and 
that is a terrible strain on a horse. 

Then these cockneys, instead of starting at 
an easy pace, as a gentleman would do, gener- 
ally set off at full speed from the very stable 
yard ; and when they want to stop, they first 
whip us, and then pull up so suddenly, that 
we are nearly thrown on our haunches, and 
our mouths jagged with the bit — they call that 
pulling up with a dash ; and when they turn is 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


165 


a corner, they do it as sharply as if there were 
no right side or wrong side of the road. 

I well remember one spring evening I and 
Rory had been out for the day. (Rory was 
the horse that mostly went with me when 
a pair was ordered, and a good honest fellow 
he was.) We had our own driver, and as he 
was always considerate and gentle with us, we 
had a very pleasant day. We were coming 
home at a good smart pace, about twilight. 
Our road turned sharp to the left; but as we 
were close to the hedge on our own side, and 
there was plenty of room to pass, our driver 
did not pull us in. As we neared the corner I 
heard a horse and two wheels coming rapidly 
down the hill toward us. The hedge was 
high, and I could see nothing, but the next 
moment we were upon each other. Happily 
for me, I was on the side next the hedge. 
Rory was on the left side of the pole, and had 
not even a shaft to protect him. The man 
who was driving was making straight for the 
corner, and when he came in sight of us he had 
no time to pull over to his own side. The 
whole shock came upon Rory. The gig shaft 
ran right into the chest, making him stagger 
back with a cry that I shall never forget. 
The other horse was thrown upon his haunches 


166 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


and one shaft broken. It turned out that it 
was a horse from our own stables, with the 
high- wheeled gig that the young men were so 
fond of. 

The driver was one of those random, ignor- 
ant fellows, who don’t even know which is 
their own side of the road, or, if they know, 
don’t care. And there was poor Rory with his 
flesh torn open and bleeding, and the blood 
streaming down. They said if it had been a 
little more to one side it would have killed 
him ; and a good thing for him, poor fellow, if 
it had. 

As it was, it was a long time before the 
wound healed, and then he was sold for coal- 
carting; and what that is, up and down those 
steep hills, only horses know. Some of the 
sights I saw there, where a horse had to come 
down-hill with a heavily loaded two-wheel 
cart behind him, on which no brake could be 
placed, make me sad even now to think of. 

After Rory was disabled, I often went in the 
carriage with a mare named Peggy, who stood 
in the next stall to mine. She was a strong, 
well-made animal, of a bright dun color, 
beautifully dappled, and with a dark brown 
mane and tail. There was no high breeding 
about her, but she was very pretty and remark- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


167 


ably sweet-tempered and willing. Still, there 
was an anxious look about her eye, by which 
I knew that she had some trouble. The first 
time we went out together I thought she had 
a very odd pace ; she seemed to go partly a 
trot, partly a canter, three or four paces, and 
then a little jump forward. 

It was very unpleasant for any horse who 
pulled with her, and made me quite fidgety. 
When we got home I asked her what made her 
go in that odd, awkward way. 

“Ah,” she said in a troubled manner, “I 
know my paces are very bad, but what can I 
do? It really is not my fault; it is just because 
my legs are so short. I stand nearly as high 
as you, but your legs are a good three inches 
longer above your knee than mine, and of 
course you can take a much longer step and go 
much faster. You see, I did not make myself. 
I wish I could have done so; I would have 
had long legs then. All my troubles come 
from my short legs, ’ ’ said Peggy, in a de- 
sponding tone. 

“But how is it,” I said, “when you are so 
strong and good-tempered and willing?” 

“Why, you see,” said she, “men will go so 
fast, and if one can’t keep up to other horses, 
it is nothing but whip, whip, whip, all the 


168 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


time. And so I have had to keep up as 
I could, and have got into this ugly 
shuffling pace. It was not always so; when 
I lived with my first master I always went 
a good regular trot, but then he was not 
in such a hurry. He was a young clergy- 
man in the country, and a good, kind master 
he was. He had two churches, a good 
way apart, and a great deal of work, but he 
never scolded or whipped me for not going 
faster. He was very fond of me. I only wish 
I was with him now; but he had to leave 
and go to a large town, and then I was sold to 
a farmer. 

“Some farmers, you know, are capital mas- 
ters ; but I think this one was a low sort of 
man. He cared nothing about good horses or 
good driving; he only cared for going fast. 
I went as fast as I could, but that would not 
do, and he was always whipping ; so I got into 
this way of making a spring forward to keep 
up. On market nights he used to stay very 
late at the inn, and then drive home at a gal- 
lop. 

“One dark night he was galloping home as 
usual, when all on a sudden the wheel came 
against some great heavy thing in the road, 
and turned the gig over in a minute. He was 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


169 


thrown out and his arm broken, and some of 
his ribs, I think. At any rate, it was the end 
of my living with him, and I was not sorry. 
But you see it will be the same everywhere for 
me, if men must go so fast. I wish my legs 
were longer ! ’ ’ 

Poor Peggy ! I was very sorry for her, and I 
could not comfort her, for I knew how hard it 
was upon slow-paced horses to be put with fast 
ones; all the whipping comes to their share, 
and they can’t help it. 

She was often used in the phaeton, and was 
very much liked by some of the ladies, because 
she was so gentle ; and some time after this 
she was sold to two ladies who drove them- 
selves, and wanted a safe, good horse. 

I met her several times out in the country, 
going a good steady pace, and looking as gay 
and contented as a horse could be. I was very 
glad to see her, for she deserved a good place. 

After she left us, another horse came in her 
stead. He was young, and had a bad name 
for shying and starting, by which he had lost 
a good place. I asked him what made him shy. 

“Well, I hardly know,’’ he said. “I was 
timid when I was young, and was a good deal 
frightened several times, and if I saw anything 
strange I used to turn and look at it — you see 

12 Black Beanty 


170 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


with our blinkers on one can’t see or under- 
stand what a thing is unless one looks around 
— and then my master always gave me a whip- 
ping, which of course made me start on, and 
did not make me less afraid. I think if he 
would have let me just look at things quietly, 
and see that there was nothing to hurt me, it 
would hve been all right and I shoud have got 
used to them. One day an old gentleman was 
riding with him, and a large piece of white 
paper or rag blew across just on one side of me. 
I shied and started forward. My master as 
usual whipped me smartly, but the old man 
cried out, ‘You’re wrong! you’re wrong! You 
should never whip a horse for shying ; he shies 
because he is frightened, and you only frighten 
him more and make the habit worse. ’ So I 
suppose all men don’t do so. I am sure I don’t 
want to shy for the sake of it ; but how should 
one know what is dangerous and what is not, 
if one is never allowed to get used to anything? 
I am never afraid of what I know. Now I was 
brought up in a park where there were deer; 
of course I knew them as well as I did a sheep 
or a cow, but they are not common, and I know 
many sensible horses who are frightened at 
them, and who kick up quite a shindy before 
they will pass a paddock where there are deer. ’ ’ 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


171 


I knew what my companion said was true, 
and wished that every young horse had as good 
masters as Farmer Gray and Squire Gordon. 

Of course we sometimes came in for good 
driving here. I remember one morning I was 
put into the light gig, and taken to a house in 
Pulteney Street. Two gentlemen came out; 
the taller of them came round to my head ; he 
looked at the bit and bridle, and just shifted 
the collar with his hand, to see if it fitted com- 
fortably. 

“Do you consider this horse wants a curb?” 
he said to the ostler. 

“Well,” said the man, “I should say he 
would go just as well without ; he has an un- 
common good mouth, and though he has a fine 
spirit he has no vice ; but we generally find 
people like the curb. 

“I don't like it,” said the gentleman “be so 
good as to take it off, and put the rein in at 
the cheek. An easy mouth is a great thing on 
a long journey, is it not, old fellow?” he said, 
patting my neck. 

Then he took the reins, and they both got 
up. I can remember now how quietly he 
turned me round, and then with a light feel 
of the rein, and drawing the whip gently 
across my back, we were off. 


172 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


I arched my neck and set off at my best 
pace. I found I had some one behind me who 
knew how a good horse ought to be driven. 
It seemed like old times again, and made me 
feel quite gay. 

This gentleman took a great liking to me, 
and after trying me several times with the sad- 
dle he prevailed upon my master to sell me to 
a friend of his, who wanted a safe, pleasant 
horse for riding. And so it came to pass that 
in the summer I was sold to Mr. Barry. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


173 


CHAPTER XXX. 

A THIEF. 

My new master was an unmarried man. He 
lived at Bath, and was much engaged in bus- 
iness. His doctor advised him to take horse 
exercise, and for this purpose he bought me. 
He hired a stable a short distace from his 
lodgings, and engaged a man named Pilcher 
as groom. My master knew very little about 
horses, but he treated me well, and I should 
have had a good and easy place but for cir- 
cumstances of which he was ignorant. He 
ordered the best hay with plenty of oats, 
crushed beans, and bran, with vetches, or rye 
grass, as the man might think needful. I 
heard the master give the order, so I knew 
there was plenty of good food, and I thought 
I was well off. 

For a few days all went on well. I found 
that my groom understood his business. He 
kept the stable clean and airy, and he groomed 
me thoroughly ; and was never otherwise than 
gentle. He had been an ostler in one of the 


174 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


great hotels in Bath. He had given that up, 
and now cultivated fruit and vegetables for the 
market ; and his wife bred and fattened 
poultry and rabbits for sale. After a while it 
seemed to me that my oats came very short; 
I had the beans, but bran was mixed with 
them instead of oats, of which there were very 
few; certainly not more than a quarter of 
what they should have been. In two or three 
weeks this began to tell upon my strength and 
spirits. The grass food, though very good, 
was not the thing to keep up my condition 
without corn. However, I could not complain, 
nor make known my wants. So it went on for 
about two months ; and I wondered my master 
did not see that something was the matter. 
However, one afternoon he rode out into the 
country to see a friend of his, a gentleman far- 
mer, who lived on the road to Wells. 

This gentleman had a very quick eye for 
horses ; and after he had welcomed his friend, 
he said, casting his eye over me, — 

“It seems tome, Barry, that your horse does 
not look so well as he did when you first had 
him; has he been well?” 

“Yes, I believe so,’’ said my master; “but 
he is not nearly so lively as he was; my groom 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


175 


tells me that horses are always dull and weak 
in the autumn, and that I must expect it.” 

“Autumn, fiddlesticks!” said the farmer. 
“Why, this is only August ; and with your light 
work and good food he ought not to go down 
like this, even if it was autumn. How do you 
feed him?” 

My master told him. The other shook his 
head slowly, and began to feel me over. 

“I can’t say who eats your corn, my dear 
fellow, but I am much mistaken if your horse 
gets it. Have you ridden very fast?” 

“No, very gently. ” 

“Then just put your hand here,” said he, 
passing his hand over my neck and shoulder; 
“he is as warm and damp as a horse just come 
up from grass. I advise you to look into your 
stable a little more. I hate to be suspicious, 
and thank Heaven, I have no cause to be, for 
I can trust my men, present or absent; but 
there are mean scoundrels, wicked enough to 
rob a dumb beast of his food ; you must look 
into it.” And turning to his man who had 
come to take r.ie, “Give this horse a right 
good feed of bruised oats, and don’t stint him. ” 

“Dumb beasts!” Yes, we are; but if I 
could have spoken, I could have told my mas- 
ter where his oats went to. My groom used 


176 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


to come every morning about six o’clock, and 
with him a little boy, who always had a covered 
basket with him. He used to go with his 
father into the harness-room, where the corn 
was kept, and I could see them, when the door 
stood ajar, fill a little bag with oats out of the 
bin, and then he used to be off. 

Five or six mornings after this, just as the 
boy had left the stable, the door was pushed 
open, and a policeman walked in, holding the 
child tight by the arm; another policeman fol- 
lowed, and locked the door on the inside, say- 
ing, “Show me the place where your father 
keeps ‘his rabbits’ food.’’ 

The boy looked very frightened and began 
to cry ; but there was no escape, and he led 
the way to the corn-bin. Here the policeman 
found another empty bag like that which was 
found full of oats in the boy’s basket. 

Filcher was cleaning my feet at the time, 
but they soon saw him, and though he blus- 
tered a good deal they walked him off to the 
“lock-up,’’ and his boy with him. I heard 
afterwards that the boy was not held to be 
guilty, but the man was sentenced to prison 
for two months. 


BLACK BEAUTY 


177 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

A HUMBUG. 

My master was not immediately suited, but 
in a few days my new groom came. He was 
a tall, good-looking fellow enough ; but if ever 
there was a humbug in the shape of a groom, 
Alfred Smirk was the man. He was very 
civil to me, and never used me ill ; in fact, he 
did a great deal of stroking and patting, when 
his master was there to see it. He always 
brushed my mane and tail with water, and my 
hoofs with oil, before he brought me to the 
door, to make me look smart ; but as to clean- 
ing my feet, or looking to my shoes, or groom- 
ing me thoroughly, he thought no more of that 
than if I had been a cow. He left my bit 
rusty, my saddle damp, and my crupper stiff. 

Alfred Smirk considered himself very hand- 
some; he spent a great deal of time about his 
hair, whiskers, and necktie before a little look- 
ing-glass in the harness-room. When his mas- 
ter was speaking to him, it was always, “Yes, 
sir; yes, sir,” touching his hat at every 


178 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


word ; and every one thought he was a very 
nice young man, and that Mr. Barry was very 
fortunate to meet with him. I should say 
he was the laziest, most conceited fellow I ever 
came near. Of course it was a great thing not 
to be ill-used, but then a horse wants more 
than that. I had a loose box, and might have 
been very comfortable if he had not been too 
indolent to clean it out. He never took all the 
straw away, and the smell from what lay un- 
derneath was very bad; while the strong 
vapors that rose made my eyes smart and in- 
flame, and I did not feel the same appetite for 
my food. 

One day his master came in and said, 
“Alfred, the stable smells rather strong; 
should not you give that stall a good scrub, 
and throw down plenty of water?” 

“Well, sir,” he said, touching his cap, “I’ll 
do so if you please, sir; but it is rather dan- 
gerous, sir, throwing down water in a horse’s 
box; they are very apt to take cold, sir. I 
should not like to do him an injury, but I’M do 
it if you please, sir. ’ ’ 

“Well,” said his master, “I should not like 
him to take cold, but I don’t like the smell of 
this stable. Do you think the drains are all 
right?” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


179 


“Well, sir, now you mention it, I think the 
drain does sometimes send back a smell ; there 
may be something wrong, sir. ’ ’ 

“Then send for the bricklayer and have it 
seen to, * ’ said his master. 

“Yes, sir, I will.” 

The bricklayer came, and pulled up a great 
many bricks, but found nothing amiss ; so he 
put down some lime, and charged the master 
five shillings, and the smell in my box was as 
bad as ever. But that was not all: standing 
as I did on a quantity of moist straw, my feet 
grew unhealthy and tender, and the master 
used to say, — 

“I don’t know what is the matter with 
this horse; he goes very fumble-footed. I am 
sometimes afraid he will stumble. ’’ 

“Yes, sir,’’ said Alfred, “I have noticed the 
same myself, when I have exercised him. ’ ’ 
Now, the fact was that he hardly ever did 
exercise me, and when the master was busy, 
I often stood for days together without stretch- 
ing my legs at all, and yet being fed just as high 
as if I were at hard work. This often disordered 
my health, and made me sometimes heavy and 
dull, but more often restless and feverish. He 
never even gave me a meal of green food or a 
bran mash, which would have cooled me, for 


180 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


he was altogether as ignorant as he was con- 
ceited ; and then, instead of exercise or change 
of food, I had to take horse balls and draughts ; 
which, besides the nuisance of having them 
poured down my throat, used to make me feel 
ill and uncomfortable. 

One day my feet were so tender that, trotting 
over some fresh stones with my master on my 
back, I made two such serious stumbles that, 
as he came down Lansdown into the city, he 
stopped at the farrier’s, and asked him to see 
what was the matter with me. The man took 
up my feet one by one and examined them ; 
then standing up and dusting his hands one 
against the other, he said: 

“Your horse has got the ‘thrush,’ and badly, 
too ; his feet are very tender ; it is fortunate 
that he has not been down. I wonder your 
groom has not seen to it before. This is the 
sort of thing we find in foul stables, where the 
litter is never properly cleaned out. If you 
will send him here to-morrow I will attend to 
the hoof, and I will direct your man how to 
apply the liniment which I will give him. ” 

The next day I had my feet thoroughly 
cleansed and stuffed with tow soaked in some 
strong lotion ; and a very unpleasant business 
it was. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


181 


The farrier ordered all the litter to be taken 
out of my box day by day, and the floor kept 
very clean. Then I was to have bran mashes, 
a little green food, and not so much corn, till 
my feet were well again. With this treatment 
I soon regained my spirits ; but Mr. Barry was 
so much disgusted at being twice deceived by 
his grooms that he determined to give up keep- 
ing a horse, and to hire when he wanted one. 
I was, therefore, kept till my feet were quite 
sound, and was then sold again. 


182 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Part III. 


CHAPTER XXXII. 

A HORSE FAIR. 

No doubt a horse fair is a very amusing- 
place to those who have nothing to lose; at 
any rate, there is plenty to see. 

Long strings of young horses out of the 
country, fresh from the marshes; and droves 
of shaggy little Welsh ponies, no higher than 
Merrylegs ; and hundreds of cart horses of all 
sorts, some of them with their long tails 
braided up and tied with scarlet cord ; and a 
good many like myself, handsome and high- 
bred, but fallen into the middle class, through 
some accident or blemish, unsoundness of 
wind, or some other complaint. There were 
some splendid animals quite in their prime, 
and fit for anything ; they were throwing out 
their legs and showing off their paces in high 
style, as they were trotted out with a leading- 
rein, the groom running by the side. But 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


183 


round in the background there were a number 
of poor things, sadly broken down with hard 
work, with their knees knuckling over and 
their hind legs swinging out at every step ; and 
there were some very dejected-looking old 
horses, with the under-lip hanging down and 
the ears lying back heavily, as if there was no 
more pleasure in life, and no more hope ; there 
were some so thin you might see all their ribs, 
and some with old sores on their backs and 
hips. These were sad sights for a horse to 
look upon, who knows not but he may come to 
the same state. 

There was a great deal of bargaining, of 
running up and beating down ; and if a horse 
may speak his mind so far as he understands, 
I should say there were more lies told and 
more trickery at that horse fair than a clever 
man could give an account of. I was put with 
two or three other strong useful-looking horses, 
and a good many people came to look at us. 
The gentlemen always turned from me when 
they saw my broken knees; though the man 
who had me swore it was only a slip in the 
stall. 

The first thing was to pull my mouth open, 
then to look at my eyes, then feel all the way 
down my legs and give me a hard feel of the 


184 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


skin and flesh, and then try my paces. It was 
wonderful what a difference there was in the 
way these things were done. Some did it in a 
rough, off-hand way, as if one was only a piece 
of wood ; while others would take their hands 
gently over one’s body, with a pat now and 
then, as much as to say, “By your leave.’’ Of 
course, I judged a good deal of the buyers by 
their manners to myself. 

There was one man, I thought, if he would 
buy me, I should be happy. He was not a 
gentleman, nor yet one of the loud, flashy sort 
that called themselves so. He was rather a 
small man, but well made, and quick in all his 
motions. I knew in a moment, by the way he 
handled me, that he was used to horses ; he 
spoke gently, and his gray eye had a kindly, 
cheery look in it. It may seem strange to 
say — but it is true all the same — that the clean, 
fresh smell there was about him made me take 
to him: no smell of old beer and tobacco, 
which I hated, but a fresh smell as if he had 
come out of a hayloft. He offered twenty- 
three pounds for me ; but that was refused, and 
he walked away. I looked after him, but he 
was gone, and a very hard-looking, loud-voiced 
man came. I was dreadfully afraid he would 
have me; but he walked off. One or two more 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


185 


came who did not mean business. Then the 
hard-faced man came back again and offered 
twenty-three pounds. A very close bargain 
was being driven, for my salesman began to 
think he should not get all he asked, and must 
come down; but just then the gray-eyed man 
came back again. I could not help reaching 
out my head toward him. He stroked my face 
kindly. 

“Well, old chap,” he said, “I think we 
should suit each other. I’ll give twenty-four 
for him. ” 

“Say twenty-five, and you shall have him.” 

* ‘ Twenty-four then, ’ ’ said my friend, in a very 
decided tone, “and not another sixpence — 
yes, or no?” 

“Done,” said the salesman; “and you may 
depend upon it there’s a monstrous deal of 
quality in that horse, and if you want him for 
cab work he’s a bargain. ” 

The money was paid on the spot, and my 
new master took my halter, and led me out of 
the fair to an inn, where he had a saddle and 
bridle ready. He gave me a good feed of oats, 
and stood by whilst I ate it, talking to himself 
and talking to me. Half an hour after, we 
were on our way to London, through pleasant 
lanes and country roads, until we came into 


186 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


the great London thoroughfare, on which we 
traveled steadily, till in the twilight we reached 
the great city. The gas lamps were already 
lighted; there were streets to the right, and 
streets to the left, and streets crossing each 
other, for mile upon mile. I thought we 
should never come to the end of them. At 
last, in passing through one, we came to a long 
cab stand, when my rider called out in a cheery 
voice, “Good-night, Governor!” 

“Hallo!” cried a voice. “Have you got a 
good one?” 

“I think so,” replied my owner. 

“I wish you luck with him. ” 

“Thank ye, Governor,” and he rode on. We 
soon turned up one of the side-streets, and 
about half-way up that we turned into a very 
narrow street, with rather poor-looking houses 
on one side, and what seemed to be coach- 
houses and stables on the other. 

My owner pulled up at one of the houses and 
whistled. The door flew open, and a young 
woman, followed by a little girl and boy, ran 
out. There was a very lively greeting as my 
rider dismounted. 

“Now, then, Harry, my boy, open the gates, 
and mother will bring us the lantern. ’ ’ 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


18 ? 


The next minute they were all standing 
round me in a small stable yard. 

“Is he gentle, father?” 

“Yes, Dolly, as gentle as your own kitten; 
come and pat him.” 

At once the little hand was patting about all 
over my shoulder without fear. How good it 
felt! 

“Let me get him a bran mash while you rub 
him down,” said the mother. 

“Do, Polly, it’s just what he wants; and I 
know you’ve got a beautiful mash ready for 
me.” 

“Sausage dumpling and apple turnover!” 
shouted the boy, which set them all laughing. 
I was led into a comfortable, clean-smelling 
stall with plenty of dry straw, and after a cap- 
ital supper, I lay down, thinking I was going 
to be happy. 


188 


BLACK BEAUTY 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 

A LONDON CAB HORSE. 

My new master’s name was Jeremiah Barker, 
but as every one called him Jerry, I shall do 
the same. Polly, his wife, was just as good a 
match as a man could have. She was a plump, 
trim, tidy little woman, with smooth dark 
hair, dark eyes, and a merry little mouth. The 
boy was nearly twelve years old, a tall, frank, 
good-tempered lad; and little Dorothy (Dolly 
they called her) was her mother over again, at 
eight years old. They were all wonderfully 
fond of each other; I never knew such a happy, 
merry family before or since. Jerry had a cab 
of his own, and two horses, which he drove 
and attended to himself. His other horse was 
a tall, white, rather large-boned animal, called 
“Captain.” He was old now, but when he 
was young he must have been splendid; he 
had still a proud way of holding his head and 
arching his neck; in fact, he was a high-bred, 
fine-mannered, noble old horse, every inch of 
him. He told me that in his early youth he 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


189 


went to the Crimean War; he belonged to an 
officer in the cavalry, and used to lead the 
regiment. I will tell more of that hereafter. 

The next morning, when I was well groomed, 
Polly and Dolly came into the yard to see me 
and make friends. Harry had been helping 
his father since the early morning, and had 
stated his opinion that I should turn out “a reg- 
ular brick. ’ ’ Polly brought me a slice of apple, 
and Dolly a piece of bread, and made as much 
of me as if I had been the “Black Beauty” of 
olden time. It was a great treat to be petted 
again and talked to in a gentle voice, and I let 
them see as well as I could that I wished to be 
friendly. Polly thought I was very hand- 
some, and a great deal too good for a cab, if it 
was not for the broken knees. 

“Of course there’s no one to tell us whose 
fault that was,” said Jerry, “and as long as I 
don’t know I shall give him the benefit of the 
doubt; for a firmer, neater stepper I never 
rode. We’ll call him ‘Jack,’ after the old one 
— shall we, Polly?” 

“Do,” she said, “for I like to keep a good 
name going. ” 

Captain went out in the cab all the morning. 
Harry came in after school to feed me and give 
me water. In the afternoon I was put into 


190 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


the cab. Jerry took as much pains to see if 
the collar and bridle fitted comfortably as if he 
had been John Manly over again. When the 
crupper was let out a hole or two, it all fitted 
well. There was no check-rein, no curb, noth- 
ing but a plain ring snaffle. What a blessing 
that was ! 

After driving through the side-street we 
came to the large cab stand where Jerry had 
said “Good-night.” On one side of this wide 
street were high houses with wonderful shop 
fronts, and on the other was an old church and 
churchyard, surrounded by iron palisades. 
Alongside these iron rails a number of cabs 
were drawn up, waiting for passengers ; bits of 
hay were lying about on the ground; some of 
the men were standing together talking ; some 
were sitting on their boxes reading the news- 
paper; and one or two were feeding their 
horses with bits of hay, and giving them a 
drink of water. We pulled up in the rank at 
the back of the last cab. Two or three men 
came round and began to look at me and pass 
their remarks. 

“Very good for a funeral,” said one. 

“Too smart-looking,” said another, shaking 
his head in a very wise way; “you ’ll find out 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


191 


something wrong one of these fine morning, or 
my name isn’t Jones.” 

“Well,” said Jerry pleasantly, “I suppose I 
need not find it out till it finds me out, eh? 
And if so, I’ll keep up my spirits a little 
longer. ” 

Then there came up a broad-faced man, 
dressed in a great gray coat with great gray 
capes and great white buttons, a gray hat, and 
a blue comforter loosely tied around his neck ; 
his hair was gray, too; but he was a jolly-look- 
ing fellow, and the other men made way for 
him. He looked me all over, as if he had been 
going to buy me ; and then straightening him- 
self up with a grunt, he said, “He’s the right 
sort for you, Jerry; I don’t care what you gave 
for him, he’ll be worth it.” Thus my charac- 
ter was established on the stand. 

This man’s name was Grant, but he was 
called “Gray Grant,” or “Governor Grant.” 
He had been the longest on that stand of any 
of the men, and he took it upon himself to 
settle matters and stop disputes. He was 
generally a good-humored, sensible man; but 
if his temper was a little out, as it was some- 
times when he had drunk too much, nobody 
liked to come too near his fist, for he could deal 
a very heavy blow. 


192 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


The first week of my life as a cab horse was 
very trying. I had never been used to Lon- 
don, and the noise, the hurry, the crowds of 
horses, carts, and carriages, that I had to make 
my way through, made me feel anxious and 
harassed; but I soon found that I could per- 
fectly trust my driver, and then I made myself 
easy, and got used to it. 

Jerry was as good a driver as I had ever 
known ; and what was better, he took as much 
thought for his horses as he did for himself. 
He soon found out that I was willing to work 
and do my best ; and he never laid the whip on 
me, unless it was gently drawing the end of it 
over my back, when I was to go on ; but gen- 
erally I knew this quite well by the way in 
which he took up the reins; and I believe his 
whip was more frequently stuck up by his side 
than in his hand. 

In a short time I and my master understood 
each other, as well as horse and man can do. 
In the stable, too, he did all that he could for 
our comfort. The stalls were the old-fashioned 
style, too much on the slope ; but he had two 
movable bars fixed across the back of our stalls, 
so that at night, when we were resting, he just 
took off our halters and put up the bars, and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


193 


thus we could turn about and stand whichever 
way we pleased, which is a great comfort. 

Jerry kept us very clean, and gave us as 
much change of food as he could, and always 
plenty of it; and not only that, but he always 
gave us plenty of clean fresh water, which he 
allowed to stand by us both night and day, 
except of course when we came in warm. Some 
people say that a horse ought not to drink all 
he likes; but I know if we are allowed to drink 
when we want it we drink only a little at a 
time, and it does us a great deal more good 
than swallowing down half a bucketful at a 
time, because we have been left without till 
we are thirsty and miserable. Some grooms 
will go home to their beer and leave us for 
hours with our dry hay and oats and nothing 
to moisten them ; then of course we gulp down 
too much at once, which helps to spoil our 
breathing and sometimes chills our stomachs. 
But the best thing that we had here was our 
Sundays for rest! we worked so hard in the 
week, that I do not think we could have kept 
up to it, but for that day; besides, we had 
then time to enjoy each other’s company. It 
was on these days that I learned my compan- 
ion’s history. 


13 Black Beauty 


194 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXXIV. 

AN OLD WAR HORSE. 

Captain had been broken in and trained for 
an army horse ; his first owner was an officer 
of cavalry going out to the Crimean War. He 
said he quite enjoyed the training with all the 
other horses, trotting together, turning 
together, to the right hand or the left, halting 
at the word of command, or dashing forward at 
full speed at the sound of the trumpet or 
signal of the officer. He was, when young, a 
dark, dapple iron gray, and considered very 
handsome. His master, a young, high-spirited 
gentleman, was very fond of him, and treated 
him from the first with the greatest care and 
kindness. He told me he thought the life of 
an army horse was very pleasant ; but when it 
came to being sent abroad over the sea in a 
great ship, he almost changed his mind. 

“That part of it,” said he, “was dreadful! 
Of course we could not walk off the land into 
the ship; so they were obliged to put strong 
straps under our bodies, and then we were 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


195 


lifted off our legs in spite of our struggles, and 
were swung through the air over the water, to 
the deck of the great vessel. There we were 
placed in small, close stalls, and never for a 
long time saw the sky, or were able to stretch 
our legs. The ship sometimes rolled about in 
high winds, and we were knocked about, and 
felt bad enough. However, at last it came to 
an end, and we were hauled up, and swung 
over again to the land; we were verjr glad, and 
snorted and neighed for joy, when we once 
more felt firm ground under our feet. 

“We soon found that the country we had 
come to was very different from our own, and 
that we had many hardships to endure besides 
the fighting; but many of the men were so 
fond of their horses, that they did everything 
they could to make them comfortable, in spite 
of snow, wet, and all things out of order. ’ ’ 

“But what about the fighting?” said I; “was 
not that worse than anything else?” 

“Well, ” said he, “I hardly know; we always 
liked to hear the trumpet sound, and to be 
called out, and were impatient to start off, 
though sometimes we had to stand for hours, 
waiting for the word of command ; and when 
the word was given, we used to spring forward 
as gayly and eagerly as if there were no cannon 


196 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


balls, bayonets, or bullets. I believe so long 
as we felt our rider firm in the saddle, and his 
hand steady on the bridle, not one of us gave 
way to fear, not even when the terrible bomb- 
shells whirled through the air and burst into a 
thousand pieces. 

“I, with my noble master, went into many 
actions together without a wound, and though 
I saw horses shot down with bullets, pierced 
through with lances, and gashed with fearful 
saber-cuts; though we left them dead on the 
field, or dying in the agony of their wounds, I 
don’t think I feared for myself. My master’s 
cheery voice, as he encouraged his men, made 
me feel as if he and I could not be killed. I 
had such perfect trust in him, that whilst he 
was guiding me, I was ready to charge up to 
the very cannon’s mouth. I saw many brave 
men cut down, many fall mortally wounded 
from their saddles. I had heard the cries and 
groans of the dying, I had cantered over ground 
slippery with blood, and frequently had to 
turn aside to avoid trampling on wounded man 
or horse, but, until one dreadful day, I had 
never felt terror; that day I shall never forget. ” 

Here old Captain paused for a while and 
drew a long breath ; I waited, and he went on. 

“It was one autumn morning, and, as usual, 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


197 


an hour before daybreak our cavalry had 
turned out, ready caparisoned for the day’s 
work, whether it might be fighting or waiting. 
The men stood by their horses waiting, ready 
for orders. As the light increased, there 
seemed to be some excitement among the 
officers; and before the day was well begun, 
we heard the firing of the enemy’s guns. 

“Then one of the officers rode up and gave 
the word for the men to mount, and in a sec- 
ond every man was in his saddle, and every 
horse stood expecting the touch of the rein, or 
the pressure of his rider’s heels, all animated, 
all eager ; but still we had been trained so well, 
that, except by the champing of our bits, and 
the restive tossing of our heads from time to 
time, it could not be said that we stirred. 

“My dear master and I were at the head of 
the line, and as all sat motionless and watch- 
ful, he took a little stray lock of my mane 
which had turned over on the wrong side, laid 
it over on the right, and smoothed it down 
with his hand ; then patting my neck, he said, 
‘We shall have a day of it to-day, Bayard, my 
beauty; but we’ll do our duty as we have 
done.’ He stroked my neck that morning 
more, I think, than he had ever done before; 
quietly on and on, as if he were thinking of 


198 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


something else. I loved to feel his hand on 
my neck, and arched my crest proudly and 
happily ; but I stood very still, for I knew all 
his moods, and when he liked me to be quiet, 
and when gay. 

“I cannot tell all that happened on that day, 
but I will tell of the last charge that we made 
together : it was across a valley right in front 
of the enemy’s cannon. By this time we were 
well used to the roar of heavy guns, the rattle 
of musket fire, and the flying of shot near us; 
but never had I been under such a fire as we 
rode through on that day. From the right, 
from the left, and from the front, shot and shell 
poured in upon us. Many a brave man went 
down, many a horse fell, flinging his rider to 
the earth ; many a horse without a rider ran 
wildly out of the ranks : then, terrified at being 
alone, with no hand to guide him, came press- 
ing in amongst his old companions, to gallop 
with them to the charge. 

“Fearful as it was, no one stopped, no one 
turned back. Every moment the ranks were 
thinned, but as our comrades fell, we closed in 
to keep them together; and instead of being 
shaken or staggered in our pace, our gallop 
became faster and faster as we neared the can- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


199 


non, all clouded in white smoke, while the red 
fire flashed through it. 

“My master, my dear master, was cheering 
on his comrades with his right arm raised on 
high, when one of the balls whizzing close to 
my head struck him. I felt him stagger with 
the shock, though he uttered no cry ; I tried to 
check my speed, but the sword dropped from 
his right hand, the rein fell loose from the left, 
and sinking backward from the saddle, he fell 
to the earth ; the other riders swept past us, 
and by the force of their charge I was driven 
from the spot where he fell. 

“I wanted to keep my place by his side, and 
not leave him under that rush of horses’ feet, 
but it was in vain ; and now, without a mas- 
ter or a friend, I was alone on that great 
slaughter ground : then fear took hold on me 
and I trembled as I had never trembled be- 
fore ; and I, too, as I had seen other horses do } 
tried to join in the ranks and gallop with them ; 
but I was beaten off by the swords of the sol- 
diers. Just then, a soldier whose horse had 
been killed under him caught at my bridle, 
and mounted me ; and with this new master I 
was again going forward : but our gallant com- 
pany was cruelly overpowered, and those who 
remained alive after the fierce fight for the 


200 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


guns, came galloping back over the same 
ground. Some of the horses had been so 
badly wounded that they could scarcely move 
from the loss of blood; other noble creatures 
were trying on three legs to drag themselves 
along, and others were struggling to rise on 
their fore feet, when their hind legs had been 
shattered by shot. Their groans were piteous 
to hear, and the beseeching look in their eyes 
as those who escaped passed by, and left them 
to their fate, I shall never forget. After the 
battle the wounded men were brought in, and 
the dead were buried. 

“And what about the wounded horses?” I 
said: “were they left to die?” 

“No, the army farriers went over the field 
with their pistols and shot all that were ruined ; 
some that had only slight wounds were brought 
back and attended to, but the greater part of 
the noble, willing creatures that went out that 
morning never came back! In our stables 
there was only about one in four that returned. 

“I never saw my dear master again. I be- 
lieve he fell dead from the saddle. I never 
loved any other master so well. I went into 
many other engagements, but was only once 
wounded, and then not seriously; and when 
the war was over, I came back again to Eng- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


201 


land, as sound and strong as when I went 
out.” 

I said, “I have heard people talk about war 
as if it was a very fine thing. ” 

“Ah!” said he, ‘‘I should think they never 
saw it. No doubt it is very fine when there is 
no enemy, when it is just exercise and parade, 
and sham fight. Yes, it is very fine then; but 
when thousands of good brave men and horses 
are killed, or crippled for life, it has a very 
different look.” 

“Do you know what they fought about?” 
said I. 

“No,” he said, “that is more than ahorse 
can understand, but the enemy must have 
been awfully wicked people, if it was right to 
go all that way over the sea on purpose to kill 
them.” 


14 Black Beauty 


202 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXXV. 

JERRY BARKER. 

I never knew a better man than my new 
master. He was kind and good, and as strong 
for the right as John Manly; and so good- 
tempered and merry, that very few people 
could pick a quarrel with him. He was very 
fond of making little songs, and singing them 
to himself. One he was very fond of was 
this, — 

“Come, father and mtoher, 

And sister and brother, 

Come, all of you, turn to 
And help one another.” 

And so they did; Harry was as clever at 
stable-work as a much older boy, and always 
wanted to do what he could. Then Polly and 
Dolly used to come in the morning to help 
with the cab — to brush and beat the cushions, 
and rub the glass, while Jerry was giving us a 
cleaning in the yard, and Harry was rubbing 
the harness. There used to be a great deal of 
laughing and fun between them, and it put 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


203 


Captain and me in much better spirits than if 
we had heard scolding and hard words. They 
were always early in the morning, for Jerry 
would say, — 

“ If you ip the moaning 
Throw minutes away, 

You can’t pick them up 
In the course of the day ; 

You may hurry and scurry, 

And flurry and worry, 

You’ve lost them forever, 

Forever and aye.” 

He could not bear any careless loitering and 
waste of time ; and nothing was so near mak- 
ing him angry as to find people, who were 
always late, wanting a cab horse to be driven 
hard, to make up for their idleness. 

One day, two wild-looking young men came 
out of a tavern close by the stand, and called 
Jerry. 

“Here, cabby! look sharp, we are rather 
late; put on the steam, will you, and take us 
to the Victoria in time for the one o’clock 
train? You shall have a shilling extra.” 

“I will take you at the regular pace, gentle- 
men; shillings don’t pay for putting on the 
steam like that.” 

Larry’s cab was standing next to ours; he 
flung open the door, and said, “I’m your man, 


204 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


gentlemen ! take my cab, my horse will get you 
there all right;” and as he shut them in, with 
a wink toward Jerry, said, “It’s against his 
conscience to go beyond a jog-trot.” Then 
slashing his jaded horse, he set off as hard as 
he could. Jerry patted me on the neck: “No, 
Jack, a shilling would not pay for that sort of 
thing, would it, old boy?” 

Although Jerry was determinately set 
against hard driving, to please careless people, 
he always went a good fair pace, and was not 
against putting on the steam, as he said, if 
only he knew why. 

I well remember one morning, as we were 
on the stand waiting for a fare, that a young 
man, carrying a heavy portmanteau, trod on a 
piece of orange peel which lay on the pave- 
ment, and fell down with great force. 

Jerry was the first to run and lift him up. 
He seemed much stunned, and as they led him 
into a shop, he walked as if he were in great 
pain. Jerry, of course, came back to the 
stand, but in about ten minutes one of the 
shopmen called him, so we drew up to the 
pavement. 

“Can you take me to the Southeastern Rail- 
way?” said the young man; “this unlucky fall 
has made me late, I fear; but it is of great 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


205 


importance that I should not lose the twelve 
o’clock train. I should be most thankful if 
you could get me there in time, and will gladly 
pay you an extra fare.” 

‘‘I’ll do my very best,” said Jerry, heartily. 
“If you think you are well enough, sir,” for 
he looked dreadfully white and ill. 

“I must go,” he said, earnestly, “please to 
open the door, and let us lose no time.” 

The next minute Jerry was on the box; with 
the cheery chirrup to me, and a twitch of the 
rein that I well understood. 

“Now, then, Jack, my boy,” said he, “spin 
along, we’ll show them how we can get over 
the ground, if we only know why.” 

It is always difficult to drive fast in the city 
in the middle of the day, when the streets are 
full of traffic, but we did what could be done ; 
and when a good driver and a good horse, 
who understand each other, are of one mind, 
it is wonderful what they can do. I had a very 
good mouth — that is, I could be guided by the 
slightest touch of the rein ; and that is a great 
thing in London, amongst carriages, omni- 
buses, carts, vans, trucks, cabs, and great 
wagons creeping along at a walking pace; 
some going one way, some another, some go- 
ing slowly, others wanting to pass them ; om- 


206 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


nibuses stopping short every few minutes to 
take up a passenger, obliging the horse that is 
coming behind to pull up, too, or to pass, and 
get before them ; perhaps you try to pass, but 
just then something else comes, dashing in 
through the narrow opening, and you have to 
keep in behind the omnibus again ; presently 
you think you see a chance, and manage to 
get to the front, going so near the wheels on 
each side, that half an inch nearer and they 
would scrape. Well — you get along for a bit, 
but soon find yourself in a long train of carts 
and carriages all obliged to go at a walk ; per- 
haps you come to a regular block-up, and have 
to stand still for minutes together, till some- 
thing clears out into a side-street, or the police- 
man interferes; you have to be ready for any 
chance — to dash forward if there be an open- 
ing, and be quick as a rat dog to see if there 
be room and if there be time, lest you get your 
own wheels locked or smashed, or the shaft of 
some other vehicle run into your chest or 
shoulder. All this is what you have to be ready 
for. If you want to get through London fast 
in the middle of the day, it wants a deal of 
practice. 

Jerry and I were used to it, and no one could 
beat us at getting through when we were set 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


207 


upon it. I was quick and bold and could 
always trust my driver ; J erry was quick and 
patient at the same time, and could trust his 
horse, which was a great thing, too. He very 
seldom used the whip ; I knew by his voice, 
and his click click when he wanted to get on 
fast, and by the rein where I was to go; so 
there was no need for whipping ; but I must 
go back to n*y story. 

The streets were very full that day, but we 
got on pretty well as far as the bottom of 
Cheapside, where there was a block for three 
or four minutes. The young man put his head 
out, and said anxiously, “I think I had better 
get out and walk, I shall never get there if this 
goes on. ’ * 

“I’ll do all that can be done, sir,’’ said Jerry. 
“I think we shall be in time; this block-up 
cannot last much longer, and your luggage is 
very heavy for you to carry, sir. ’ ’ 

Just then the cart in front of us began to 
move on, and then we had a good turn. In 
and out — in and out we went, as fast as horse- 
flesh could do it, and for a wonder had a good 
clear time on London Bridge, for there was a 
whole train of cabs and carriages, all going our 
way at a quick trot — perhaps wanting to catch 
that very train ; at any rate, we whirled into 


208 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


the station with many more, just as the great 
clock pointed to eight minutes to twelve 
o’clock. 

“Thank God! we are in time,” said the 
young man, “and thank you, too, my friend, 
and your good horse ; you have saved me more 
than money can ever pay for; take this extra 
half-crown. ’’ 

“No, sir, no, thank you all the same; so glad 
we hit the time, sir; we don’t stay now, sir, 
the bell is ringing. Here, porter! take this 
gentleman’s luggage — Dover line — twelve 
o’clock train — that’s it,” and without waiting 
for another word, Jerry wheeled me round to 
make room for other cabs that were dashing 
up at the last minute, and drew up on one side 
till the crush was past. 

“So glad!” he said, “so glad! poor young 
fellow! I wonder what it was that made him 
so anxious!” 

Jerry often talked to himself quite loud 
enough for me to hear, when we were not mov- 
ing. 

On Jerry’s return to the rank, there was 
good deal of laughing and chaffing at him, 
for driving hard to the train for an extra fare, 
as they said, all against his principles ; and they 
wanted to know how much he had pocketed. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


209 


“A good deal more than I generally get, ” 
said he, nodding slyly; “what he gave me 
will keep me in little comforts for several 
days. ’ ’ 

“Gammon!" said one. 

“He’s a humbug,” said another, “preaching 
to us, and then doing the same himself.” * 

“Look here, mates,” said Jerry, “the gentle- 
man offered me half-a- crown extra, but I didn’t 
take it; ’twas quite pay enough for me to see 
how glad he was to catch that train; and if 
Jack and I choose to have a quick run now and 
then, to please ourselves, that’s our business 
and not yours. ” 

“Well,” said Larry, “you’ll never be a rich 
man. ” 

“Most likely not,” said Jerry, “but I don’t 
know that I shall be the less happy for that. I 
have heard the commandments read a great 
many times, and I never noticed that any of 
them said, ‘Thou shalt be rich;’ and there are 
a good many curious things said in the New 
Testament about rich men, that I think would 
make me feel rather queer if I was one of 
them. ” 

“If you ever do get rich,” said Governor 
Gray, looking over his shoulder across the top 
of his cab, “you’ll deserve it, Jerry, and you 


210 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


won’t find a curse come with your wealth. As 
for you, Larry, you’ll die poor, you spend too 
much in whipcord. ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Larry, “what is a fellow to do 
if his horse won’t go without it?” 

“You never take the trouble to see if he will 
go without it ; your whip is always going as if 
you had the St. Vitus’ dance in your arm; and 
if it does not wear you out, it wears your horse 
out ; you know you are always changing your 
horses, and why? because you never give them 
any peace or encouragement. ’ ’ 

“Well, I have not had good luck,” said 
Larry, “that’s where it is.” 

“And you never will,” said the Governor. 
“Good Luck is rather particular who she rides 
with, and mostly prefers those who have got 
common-sense and a good heart; at least, that 
is my experience. ’ ’ 

Governor Gray turned round again to his 
newspaper, and the other men went to their 
cabs. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


211 


CHAPTER XXXVI. 

THE SUNDAY CAB. 

One morning, as Jerry had just put me into 
the shafts and was fastening the traces, a 
gentleman walked into the yard. “Your 
servant, sir,” said Jerry. 

“Good-morning, Mr. Barker,” said the 
gentleman. “I should be glad to make some 
arrangements with you for taking Mrs. Briggs 
regularly to church on Sunday mornings. We 
go to the New Church now, and that is rather 
further than she can walk. ’ ’ 

“Thank you, sir,” said Jerry, “but I have 
only taken out a six-days’ license,* and there- 
fore I could not take a fare on a Sunday; it 
would not be legal.” 

“Oh!” said the other, “I did not know yours 
was a six-days’ cab; but of course it would be 
very easy to alter your license. I would see 
that you did not lose by it ; the fact is, Mrs. 
Briggs very much prefers you to drive her.” 

* A few years since the annual charge for a cab license 
was very much reduced, and the difference between the 
six and seven days’ cabs was abolished. 


212 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


‘ ‘ I should be glad to oblige the lady, sir, but 
I had seven-days’ license once, and the work 
was too hard for me, and too hard for my 
horses. Year in and year out, not a day’s rest, 
and never a Sunday with my wife and chil- 
dren ; and never able to go to a place of wor- 
ship, which I had always been used to do 
before I took the driving box. So for the 
last five years I have only taken a six-days’ 
license, and I find it better all the way round. ” 
“Well, of course,’’ replied Mr. Briggs, “it is 
very proper that every person should have rest, 
and be able to go to church on Sundays, but I 
should have thought you would not have 
minded such a short distance for the horse, and 
only once a day; you would have all the after- 
noon and evening for yourself, and we are 
very good customers, you know. ’ ’ 

“Yes, sir, that is true, and I am grateful for 
all favors, I am sure; and anything that I 
could do to oblige you or the lady I should be 
proud and happy to do; but I can’t give up my 
Sundays, sir, indeed I can’t. I read that God 
made man, and He made horses, and all the 
other beasts, and as soon as He made them He 
made a day of rest, and bade that all should 
rest one day in Seven ; and I think, sir, He 
must have know what was good for them, and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


!13 


I am sure it is good for me ; I am stronger and 
healthier altogether, now that I have a day of 
rest ; the horses are fresh too, and do not wear 
up nearly so fast. The six-day drivers all tell 
me the same, and I have laid by more money 
in the Savings’ Bank than every I did before ; 
and as for the wife and children, sir, why, 
heart alive! they would not go back to the 
seven days for all they could see. ’ ’ 

“Oh, very well,” said the gentleman. 
“Don’t trouble yourself, Mr. Barker, any 
further. I will inquire somewhere else, ’ ’ and 
he walked away. 

“Well,” says Jerry tome, “we can’t help it, 
Jack, old boy, we must have our Sundays.” 

“Polly!” he shouted, “Polly! come here.” 

She was there in a minute. 

“What is it all about, Jerry?” 

“Why, my dear, Mr. Briggs want me to take 
Mrs. Briggs to church every Sunday morning. 
I say, I have only a six-days’ license. He 
says, ‘Get a seven-days’ license, and I’ll make 
it worth your while;’ and you know Polly, 
they are very good customers to us. Mrs. 
Briggs often goes out shopping for hours, or 
making calls, and then she pays down fair and 
honorable like a lady ; there’s no beating down, 
or making three hours into two hours and a 


214 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


half, as some folks do ; and it is easy work for 
the horses ; not like tearing along to catch trains 
for people that are always a quarter of an hour 
too late; and if I don’t oblige her in this mat- 
ter it is very likely we shall lose them alto- 
gether. What do you say, little woman?” 

“I say, Jerry,” says she, speaking very 
slowly, ‘‘I say, if Mrs. Briggs would give you 
a sovereign every Sunday morning, I would 
not have you a seven-days’ cabman again. We 
have known what it was to have no Sundays, 
and now we know what it is to call them our 
own. Thank God, you earn enough to keep 
us, though it is sometimes close work to pay 
for all the oats and hay, the license, and the 
rent besides; but Harry will soon be earning 
something, and I would rather struggle on 
harder than we do than go back to those horrid 
times, when you hardly had a minute to look 
at your own children, and we never could go 
to a place of worship together, or have a 
quiet, happy day. God forbid that we should 
ever turn back to those times; that’s what I 
say, Jerry.” 

‘‘And that is what I told Mr. Briggs, my 
dear,” said Jerry, ‘‘and what I mean to stick 
to; so don’t go and fret yourself, Polly (for she 
had begun to cry) ; I would not go back to the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


215 


old times if I earned twice as much, so that is 
settled, little woman, cheer up. Now and I’ll 
be off to the stand.” 

Three weeks had passed away after this con- 
versation, and no order had come from Mrs. 
Briggs, so there was nothin^ but taking jobs 
from the stand. Jerry took it to heart a good 
deal, for of course the work was harder for 
horse and man; but Polly would always cheer 
him up and say, “Never mind, father, never 
mind. 

‘Do your best, 

And leave the rest, 

’Twill all come right 
Some day or night.”* 

It soon became known that Jerry had lost his 
best customer, and for what reason ; most of 
the men said he was a fool, but two or three 
took his part. 

‘ * If workingmen don ’ t stick to their Sunday, ’ ’ 
said Truman, “they’ll soon have none left; it 
is every man’s right and every beast’s right. 
By God’s law we have a day of rest, and by the 
law of England we have a day of rest ; and I 
say we ought to hold to the rights these laws 
give us, and keep them for our children.” 

“All very well for you religious chaps to talk 


216 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


so,” said Larry, ‘‘but I’ll turn a shilling when 
I can. I don’t believe in religion, for I don’t 
see that your religious people are any better 
than the rest. ’ ’ 

‘‘If they are not better,” put in Jerry, “it is 
because they are not religious. You might as 
well say that our country’s laws are not good 
because some people break them. If a man 
gives way to his temper, and speaks evil of his 
neighbor, and does not pay his debts, he is not 
religious; I don’t care how much he goes to 
church. If some men are shams and humbugs, 
that does not make religion untrue. Real 
religion is the best and the truest thing in the 
world ; and the only thing that can make a man 
really happy, or make the world any better.” 

“If religion was good for anything,” said 
Jones, “it would prevent your religious people 
from making us work on Sundays, as you know 
many of them do, and that’s why I say religion 
is nothing but a sham ; why, if it was not for 
the church and chapel goers it would be hardly 
worth while our coming out on a Sunday ; but 
they have their privileges, as they call them, 
and I go without. I shall expect them to 
answer for my soul, if I can’t get a chance of 
saving it. ” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


217 


Several of the men applauded this, till Jerry 
said, — 

“That may sound well enough, but it won’t 
do ; every man must look after his own soul ; 
you can’t lay it down at another man’s door 
like a foundling, and expect him to take care 
of it; and, don’t you see, if you are always 
sitting on your box waiting for a fare, they will 
say, ‘if we don’t take him, some one else will, 
and he does not look for any Sunday.’ Of 
course they don’t go to the bottom of it, or 
they would see if they never came for a cab it 
would be no use your standing there; but 
people don’t always like to go to the bottom of 
things; it may not be convenient to do it; but 
if you Sunday drivers would all strike for a 
day of rest, the thing would be done. ’ ’ 

“And what would all the good people do, if 
they could not get to their favorite preachers?’’ 
said Larry. 

“’Tis not for me to lay down plans for other 
people,’’ said Jerry, “but if they can’t walk so 
far, they can go to what is nearer; and if it 
should rain they can put on their mackintoshes 
as they do on a week-day. If a thing is right, 
it can be done, and if it is wrong, it can be 
done without; and a good man will find a way; 
and that is as true for us cabmen as it is for 
the churchgoers/’ 


218 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXXVII. 

THE GOLDEN RULE. 

Two or three weeks after this, as we came 
into the yard rather late in the evening, Polly 
came running across the road with the lantern 
(she always brought it to him if it was not very 
wet). 

“It has all come right, Jerry; Mrs. Briggs 
sent her servant this afternoon to ask you to 
take her out to-morrow at eleven o’clock. I 
said, ‘Yes, I thought so, but we supposed she 
employed some one else now.’ ’’ 

“ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘the real fact is, master 
was put out because Mr. Barker refused to 
come on Sundays and he has been trying other 
cabs, but there’s something wrong with them 
all ; some drive too fast, and some too slow, 
and the mistress says, there is not one of them 
so nice and clean as yours, and nothing will 
suit her but Mr. Barker’s cab again.’ ’’ 

Polly was almost out of breath, and Jerry 
broke out into a merry laugh. 

“ ‘ ’Twill all come right some day or night;’ 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


219 


you were right, my dear, you generally are. 
Run in and get the supper, and I’ll have Jack’s 
harness off and make him snug and happy in 
no time. ” 

After this, Mrs. Briggs wanted Jerry’s cab 
quite as often as before, never, however, on a 
Sunday ; but there came a day when we had 
Sunday work, and this was how it happened. 
We had all come home on the Saturday night 
very tired, and very glad to think that the 
next day would be all rest, but so it was not to 
be. 

On Sunday morning Jerry was cleaning me 
in the yard, when Polly stepped up to him, 
looking very full of something. 

“What is it?’’ said Jerry. 

“Well, my dear,’’ she said, “poor Dinah 
Brown has just had a letter brought to say 
that her mother is dangerously ill, and that 
she must go directly if she wishes to see her 
alive. The place is more than ten miles away 
from here, out in the country, and she says if 
she takes the train she should still have four 
miles to walk ; and so weak as she is, and the 
baby only four weeks old, of course, that 
would be impossible ; and she wants to know 
if you would take her in your cab, and she 


220 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


promises to pay you faithfully, as she can get 
the money. ’ ’ 

“Tut, tut! we’ll see about that. It was not 
the money I was thinking about, but of losing 
our Sunday; the horses are tired, and I am 
tired, too — that’s where it pinches.” 

“It pinches all round, for that matter,” said 
Polly, “for it’s only half Sunday without you, 
but you know we should do to other people as 
we should like they should do to us; and I 
know very well what I should like if my 
mother was dying; and Jerry, dear, I am sure 
it won’t break the Sabbath ; for if pulling a 
poor beast or donkey out of a pit would not 
spoil it, I am quite sure taking poor Dinah 
would not do it. ’ ’ 

“Why, Polly, you are as good as the minis- 
ter, and so, as I’ve had my Sunday-morning 
sermon early to-day, you may go and tell 
Dinah that I’ll be ready for her as the clock 
strikes ten; but stop — just step round to 
butcher Braydon’s with my compliments, and 
ask him if he would lend me his light trap ; I 
know he never uses it on the Sunday, and it 
would make a wonderful difference to the 
horse. ” 

Away she went, and soon returned, saying 
that he could have the trap and welcome. 



“ Have a gallop across the meadow.”— Page 222. 

Black Beauty. 





. 


■ 

. 





BLACK BEAUTY. 


221 


“All right,” said he; “now put me up a bit 
of bread and cheese, and I’ll be back in the 
afternoon as soon as I can. ’ ’ 

“And I’ll have the meat pie ready for an 
early tea instead of for dinner,” said Polly; 
and away she went, whilst he made his prep- 
arations to the turn of “Polly’s the woman 
and no mistake, ” of which tune he was very 
fond. 

I was selected for the journey, and at ten 
o’clock we started, in a light, high-wheeled 
gig, which ran so easily, that after the four- 
wheeled cab, it seemed like nothing. 

It was a fine May day, and as soon as we 
were out of the town, the sweet air, the smell 
of the fresh grass and the soft country roads 
were as pleasant as they used to be in the old 
times, and I soon began to feel quite fresh. 

Dinah’s family lived in a small farmhouse, 
up a green lane, close by a meadow with some 
fine shady trees; there were two cows feeding 
in it. A young man asked Jerry to bring his 
trap into the meadow, and he would tie me up 
in the cowshed; he wished he had a better 
stable to offer. 

“If your cows would not be offended,” said 
Jerry, “there is nothing my horse would like 
so well as to have an hour or two in your beau- 


222 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


tiful meadow; he’s quiet, and it would be a 
rare treat for him.” 

4 4 Do, and welcome, ’ ’ said the young man ; 
“the best we have is at your service for your 
kindness to my sister; we shall be having 
some dinner in an hour, and I hope you’ll 
come in, though with mother so ill we are all 
out of sorts in the house. ’ ’ 

Jerry thanked him kindly, but said as he had 
some dinner with him, there was nothing he 
should like so well as walking about in the 
meadow. 

When my harness was taken off, I did not 
know what I should do first — whether to eat 
the grass, or roll over on my back, or lie down 
and rest, or have a gallop across the meadow 
out of sheer spirits at being free ; and I did all 
by turns. Jerry seemed to be quite as happy 
as I was; he sat down by a bank under a 
shady tree, and listened to the birds, then he 
sang himself, and read out of the little brown 
book he is so fond of, then wandered round 
the meadow and down by a little brook, where 
he picked the flowers and the hawthorn, and 
tied them up with long sprays of ivy ; then he 
gave me a good feed of the oats which he had 
brought with him ; but the time seemed all too 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


223 


short — I had not been in a field since I left 
poor Ginger at Earlshall. 

We came home gently, and Jerry’s first 
words were, as we came into the yard, “Well, 
Polly, I have not lost my Sunday after all, for 
the birds were singing hymns in every bush, 
and I joined in the service; and as for Jack, 
he was like a young colt.” 

When he handed Dolly the flowers, she 
jumped about for joy. 


224 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

DOLLY AND A kEAL GENTLEMAN. 

The winter came in early, with a great deal 
of cold and wet. There was snow, or sleet, or 
rain, almost every day for weeks, changing 
only for keen driving winds or sharp frosts. 
The horses all felt it very much. When it is 
a dry cold, a couple of good thick rugs will 
keep the warmth in us; but when it is soaking 
rain, they soon get wet through and are no 
good. Some of the drivers had a waterproof 
cover to throw over, which was a fine thing ; 
but some of the men were so poor that they 
could not protect either themselves or their 
horses, and many of them suffered very much 
that winter. When we horses had worked half 
the day we went to our dry stables, and could 
rest; whilst they had to sit on their boxes, 
sometimes staying out as late as one or two 
o’clock in the morning, if they had a party to 
wait for. 

When the streets were slippery with frost or 
snow, that was the worst of all for us horses; 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


225 


one mile of such traveling with a weight to 
draw, and no firm footing, would take more 
out of us than four on a good road; every 
nerve and muscle of our bodies is on the strain 
to keep our balance ; and, added to this, the 
fear of falling is more exhausting than any- 
thing else. If the roads are very bad, indeed, 
our shoes are roughed, but that makes us feel 
nervous at first. 

When the weather was very bad, many of 
the men would go and sit in the tavern close 
by, and get some one to watch for them ; but 
they often lost a fare in that way, and could 
not, as Jerry said, be there without spending 
money. He never went to the Rising Sun ; 
there was a coffee-shop near, where he now 
and then went, or he bought of an old man, 
who came to our rank with tins of hot coffee 
and pies. It was his opinion that spirits and 
beer made a man colder afterwards, and that 
dry clothes, good food, cheerfulness, and a 
comfortable wife at home, were the best things 
to keep a cabman warm. Polly always supplied 
him with something to eat when he could not 
get home, and sometimes he would see little 
Dolly peeping from the corner of the street, 
to make sure if “father” was on the stand. If 
she saw him, she would run off at full speed 

15 Black Beanty 


226 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


and soon come back with something in a tin or 
basket, some hot sonp or pudding that Polly 
had ready. It was wonderful how such a little 
thing could get safely across the street, often 
thronged with horses and carriages; but she 
was a brave little maid, and felt it quite an 
honor to bring “father’s first course,” as he 
used to call it. She was a general favorite on 
the stand and there was not a man who would 
not have seen her safely across the street, if 
Jerry had not been able to do it. 

One cold windy day, Dolly had brought 
Jerry a basin of something hot, and was stand- 
ing by him whilst he ate it. He had scarcely 
begun, when a gentleman, walking toward us 
very fast, held up his umbrella. Jerry 
touched his hat in return, gave the basin to 
Dolly, and was taking off my cloth, when the 
gentleman, hastening up, cried out, “No, no, 
finish your soup, my friend; I have not much 
time to spare, but I can wait till you have done, 
and set your little girl safe on the pavement. ’ ’ 

So saying, he seated himself in the cab. 
Jerry thanked him kindly, and came back to 
Dolly. 

“There, Dolly, that’s a gentleman; that’s a 
real gentleman, Dolly; he has got time and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


227 


thought for the comfort of a poor cabman and 
a little girl. * ’ 

Jerry finished his soup, set the child across, 
and then took his orders to drive to Clapham 
Rise. Several times after that, the same gen- 
tleman took our cab. I think he was very fond 
of dogs and horses, for whenever we took him 
to his own door, two or three dogs would come 
bounding out to meet him. Sometimes he 
came round and patted me, saying in his quiet, 
pleasant way: “This horse has got a good mas- 
ter, and he deserves it. It was a very rare 
thing for any one to notice the horse that had 
been working for him. I have known ladies 
do it now and then, and this gentleman, and one 
or two others have given me a pat and a kind 
word ; but ninety-nine out of a hundred would 
as soon think of patting the steam engine that 
drew the train. 

This gentleman was not young, and there 
was a forward stoop in his shoulders as if he 
was always going at something. His lips were 
thin and close shut, though they had a very 
pleasant smile; his eye was keen, and there 
was something in his jaw, and the motion of 
his head, that made one think he was very 
determined in anything he set about. His 
voice was pleasant and kind ; any horse would 


228 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


trust that voice, though it was just as decided 
as everything else about him. 

One day, he and another gentleman took our 

cab ; they stopped at a shop in R Street, 

and whilst his friend went in, he stood at the 
door. A little ahead of us on the other side of 
the street, a cart with two very fine horses was 
standing before some wine vaults ; the carter 
was not with them, and I cannot tell how long 
they had been standing, but they seemed to 
think they had waited long enough, and began 
to move off. Before they had gone many 
paces, the carter came running out and caught 
them. He seemed furious at their having 
moved, and with whip and rein punished them 
brutally, even beating them about the head. 
Our gentleman saw it all, and stepping quickly 
across the street, said in a decided voice, — 

“If you don’t stop that directly, I’ll have 
you arrested for leaving your horses, and for 
brutal conduct. ’ ’ 

The man, who had clearly been drinking, 
poured forth some abusive language, but he 
left off knocking the horses about, and taking 
the reins, got into his cart; meantime our 
friend had quietly taken a notebook from his 
pocket, and looking at the name and address 
painted on the cart, he wrote something down. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


229 


“What do you want with that?” growled the 
carter, as he cracked his whip and was moving 
on. A nod and a grim smile was the only 
answer he got. 

On returning to the cab, our friend was 
joined by his companion, who said laughingly, 
“I should have thought, Wright, you had 
enough business of your own to look after, 
without troubling yourself about other people’s 
horses and servants. * ’ 

Our friend stood still for a moment, and 
throwing his head a little back, “Do you know 
why this world is as bad as it is?” 

“No,” said the other. 

“Then I’ll tell you. It is because people 
think only about their own business, and won’t 
trouble themselves to stand up for the op- 
pressed, nor bring the wrong-doer to light. I 
never see a wicked thing like this without 
doing what I can, and many a master has 
thanked me for letting him know how his 
horses have been used.’’ 

“I wish there were more gentlemen like 
you, sir,’’ said Jerry, “for they are wanted 
badly enough in this city/’ 

After this we continued our journey, and as 
they got out of the cab, our friend was saying, 


230 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or 
wrong that we have the power to stop, and do 
nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the 
guilt. ’ ’ 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


231 


CHAPTER XXXIX. 

SEEDY SAM. 

I should say, that for a cab-horse I was very 
well off, indeed; my driver was my owner, 
and it was his interest to treat me well, and 
not overwork me, even had he not been so good 
a man as he was ; but there were a great many 
horses which belonged to the large cab-owners, 
who let them out to their drivers for so much 
money a day. As the horses did not belong to 
these men, the only thing they thought of was 
how to get their money out of them, first, to 
pay the master, and then to provide for their 
own living, and a dreadful time some of these 
horses had of it. Of course, I understood but 
little, but it was often talked over on the stand, 
and the Governor, who was a kind-hearted 
man, and fond of horses, would sometimes 
speak up if one came in very much jaded or 
ill-used. 

One day a shabby, miserable looking driver, 
who went by the name of “Seedy Sam,” 


232 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


brought in his horse looking dreadfully beat, 
and the Governor said, — 

“You and your horse look more fit for the 
police station than for this rank. ' ’ 

The man flung his tattered rug over the 
horse, turned full round upon the Governor, 
and said in a voice that sounded almost des- 
perate, — 

“If the police have any business with the 
matter, it ought to be with the masters who 
charge us so much, or with the fares that are 
fixed so low. If a man has to pay eighteen 
shillings a day for the use of a cab and two 
horses, as many of us have to do in the season, 
and must make that up before we earn a penny 
for ourselves— I say 'tis more than hard work ; 
nine shillings a day to get out of each horse, 
before you begin to get your own living; you 
know that’s true, and if the horses don’t work 
we must starve, and I and my children have 
known what that is before now. I’ve six of 
’em, and only one earns anything; I am on the 
stand fourteen or sixteen hours a day, and I 
haven’t had a Sunday these ten or twelve 
weeks; you know Skinner never gives a day if 
he can help it, and if I don’t work hard, tell 
me who does! I want a warm coat and a 
mackintosh, but with so many to feed how can 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


233 


a man get it? I had to pledge my clock a week 
ago to pay Skinner, and I shall never see it 
again. ’ ’ 

Some of the other drivers stood round nod- 
ding their heads, and saying he was right. 
The man went on,— 

“You that have your own horses and cabs, 
or drive for good masters, have a chance of 
getting on, and a chance of doing right; I 
haven’t. We can’t charge more than sixpence 
a mile after the first, within the four-mile ra- 
dius. This very morning I had to go a clear 
six miles and only took three shillings. I could 
not get a return fare, and had to come all the 
way back; there’s twelve miles for the horse 
and three shillings for me. After that I had a 
three-mile fare, and there were bags and boxes 
enough to have brought in a good many two- 
pence s if they had been put outside; but you 
know how people do, all that could be piled up 
inside on the front seat were put in, and three 
heavy boxes went on the top ; that was six- 
pence; and the fare one and sixpence, then I 
got a return for a shilling; now that makes 
eighteen miles for the horse and six shillings 
for me; there’s three shillings still for that 
horse to earn, and nine shillings for the after- 
noon horse before I touch a penny. Of course, 

10 Black Beanty 


234 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


it is not always, as bad as that, but you know 
it often is, and I say ’tis a mockery to tell a 
man that he must not overwork his horse, for 
when a beast is downright tired there’s nothing 
but the whip that will keep his legs a-going ; 
you can’t help yourself — you must put your 
wife and children before the horse ; the master 
must look to that, we can’t. I don’t ill-use my 
horse for the sake of it; none of you can say I 
do. There’s wrong lays somewhere — never a 
day’s rest, never a quiet hour with the wife 
and children. I often feel like an old man, 
though I’m only forty-five. You know how 
quick some of the gentry are to suspect us of 
cheating and overcharging ; why, they stand 
with their purses in their hands counting it 
over to a penny, and looking at us as if we 
were pickpockets. I wish some of ’em had got 
to sit on my box sixteen hours a day and get a 
living out of it, and eighteen shillings beside^ 
and that in all weathers ; they would not be so 
uncommon particular never to give us a six- 
pence over, or to cram all the luggage inside. 
Of course, some of ’em tip us pretty handsome 
now and then, or else we could not live, but 
you can’t depend upon that.” 

The men who stood round much approved 
this speech, and one of them said, “It is des- 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


235 


perate hard, and if a man sometimes does what 
is wrong it is no wonder, and if he gets a dram 
too much who’s to blow him up?” 

Jerry had taken no part in this conversation, 
but I never saw his face look so sad before. 
The Governor had stood with both his hands 
in his pockets; now he took his handkerchief 
out of his hat, and wiped his forehead. 

“You’ve beaten me, Sam,” he said, “for it’s 
all true, and I won’t cast it up to you any more 
about the police ; it was the look in that horse's 
eye that came over me. It is hard lines for 
man, and it is hard lines for beast, and who’s 
to mend it I don’t know; but anyway you 
might tell the poor beast that you were sorry 
to take it out of him in that way. Sometimes 
a kind word is all we can give ’em, poor brutes, 
and ’tis wonderful what they do understand.” 

A few mornings after this talk a new man 
came on the stand with Sam’s cab. 

“Hallo!” said one, “what’s up with Seedy 
Sam?” 

“He’s ill in bed,” said the man; “he was 
taken last night in the yard, and could scarcely 
crawl home. His wife sent a boy this morning 
to say his father was in a high fever and could 
not get out; so I’m here instead.” 

The next morning the same man came again. 


236 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“How is Sam?” inquired the Governor. 

“He’s gone,” said the man. 

“What, gone? You don’t mean to say he’s 
dead?” 

“Just snuffed out,” said the other; “he died 
at four o’clock this morning; all yesterday he 
was raving — raving about Skinner, and having 
no Sundays. ‘I never had a Sunday’s rest,’ 
these were his last words. ’ ’ 

No one spoke for awhile, and then the Gov- 
ernor said, “I tell you what, mates, this is a 
warning for us. ’ ’ 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


237 


CHAPTER XL. 

POOR GINGER. 

One day, whilst our cab and many others 
were waiting outside one of the parks where 
music was playing, a shabby old cab drove up 
beside ours. The horse was an old worn-out 
chestnut, with an ill-kept coat, and bones that 
showed plainly through it, the knees knuckled 
over, and the fore-legs were very unsteady. I 
had been eating some hay, and the wind rolled 
a little lock of it that way, and the poor creat- 
ure put out her long thin neck and picked it 
up, and then turned round and looked about 
for more. There was a hopeless look in the 
dull eye that I could not help noticing, and 
then, as I was thinking where I had seen that 
horse before, she looked full at me and said, 
“Black Beauty, is that you?” 

It was Ginger! but how changed! The 
beautifully arched and glossy neck was now 
straight, and lank, and fallen in ; the clean, 
straight legs and delicate fetlocks were 
swelled ; the joints were grown out of shape 


238 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


with hard work; the face, that was once so 
full of spirit and life, was now full of suffer- 
ing, and I could tell by the heaving of her 
sides, and her frequent cough, how bad her 
breath was. 

Our drivers were standing together a little 
way off, so I sidled up to her a step or two, 
that we might have a little quiet talk. It was 
a sad tale that she had to tell. 

After a twelvemonth’s run off at Earlshall, 
she was considered to be fit for work again, 
and was sold to a gentleman. For a little 
while she got on very well, but after a longer 
gallop than usual, the old strain returned, and 
after being rested and doctored she was again 
sold. In this way she changed hands several 
times, but always getting lower down. 

“And so at last,” said she, “I was bought by 
a man who keeps a number of cabs and horses, 
and lets them out. You look well off, and I 
am glad of it, but I could not tell you what my 
life has been. When they found out my weak- 
ness, they said I was not worth what they gave 
for me, and that I must go into one of the low 
cabs, and just be used up; that is what they 
are doing, whipping and working with never 
one thought of what I suffer — they paid for 
me, and must get it out of me, they say. The 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


239 


man who hires me now pays a deal of money 
to the owner every day, and so he has to get 
it out of me, too; and so it’s all the week 
round and round, with never a Sunday rest ’ * 

I said, “You used to stand up for yourself if 
you were ill-used. ’ ’ 

“Ah!” she said, “I did once, but it’s no use; 
men are strongest, and if they are cruel and 
have no feeling, there is nothing that we can 
do, but just bear it — bear it on and on to the 
end. I wish the end was come, I wish I was 
dead. I have seen dead horses, and I am sure 
they do not suffer pain; I wish I may drop 
down dead at my work, and not be sent off to 
the knacker’s.” 

I was very much troubled, and I put my nose 
up to hers, but I could say nothing to comfort 
her. I think she was pleased to see me, for 
she said, “You are the only friend I ever had.” 

Just then her driver came up, and with a tug 
at her mouth, backed her out of the line and 
drove off, leaving me very sad, indeed. 

A short time after this, a cart with a dead 
horse in it passed our cab-stand. The head 
hung out of the cart tail, the lifeless tongue 
was slowly dropping with blood; and the 
sunken eyes! but I can’t speak of them, the 
sight was too dreadful. It was a chestnut 


240 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


horse with a long, thin neck. I saw a white 
streak down the forehead. I believe it was 
Ginger; I hoped it was, for then her troubles 
would be over. Oh ! if men were more merci- 
ful, they would shoot us before we came to 
such misery. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


241 


CHAPTER XLI. 

THE BUTCHER. 

I saw a great deal of trouble amongst the 
horses in London, and much of it that might 
have been prevented by a little common-sense. 
We horses do not mind hard work if we are 
treated reasonably; and I am sure there are 
many driven by quite poor men who have a 
happier life than I had, when I used to go in 
the Countess of W — — ’s carriage, with my sil- 
ver-mounted harness and high feeding. 

It often went to my heart to see how the lit- 
tle ponies were used, straining along with 
heavy loads, or staggering under heavy blows 
from some low, cruel boy. Once I saw a little 
gray pony with a thick mane and a pretty head, 
and so much like Merrylegs, that if I had not 
been in harness, I should have neighed to him. 
He was doing his best to pull a heavy cart, 
while a strong, rough boy was cutting him 
under the belly with his whip, and chucking 
cruelly at his little mouth. Could it be Merry- 
legs? It was just like him; but then Mr. 


242 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Blomefield was never to sell him, and I think 
he would not do it; but this might have been 
quite as good a little fellow, and had as happy 
a place when he was young. 

I often noticed the great speed at which 
butchers’ horses were made to go, though I 
did not know why it was so, till one day when 
we had to wait some time in St.John’s Wood. 
There was a butcher’s shop next door, and as 
we were standing, a butcher’s cart came dash- 
ing up at a great pace. The horse was hot, 
and much exhausted ; he hung his head down, 
while his heaving sides and trembling legs 
showed how hard he had been driven. The 
lad jumped out of the cart and was getting the 
basket, when the master came out of the shop 
much displeased. After looking at the horse, 
he turned angrily to the lad. 

“How many times shall I tell you not to 
drive in this way? You ruined the last horse 
and broke his wind, and you are going to ruin 
this in the same way. If you were not my 
own son, I would dismiss you on the spot ; it is 
a disgrace to have a horse brought to the shop 
in a condition like that ; you are liable to be 
taken up by the police for such driving, and if 
you are, you need not look to me for bail, for I 


BLACK BEAUTY, 


243 


have spoken to you till I am tired; you must 
look out for yourself. ’ ’ 

During this speech, the boy had stood by, 
sullen and dogged, but when his father ceased, 
he broke out angrily. It wasn’t his fault, and 
he wouldn’t take the blame, he was only going 
by orders all the time. 

“You always say, ‘Now be quick; now look 
sharp!’ and when I go to the houses, one 
wants a leg of mutton for an early dinner, and 
I must be back with it in a quarter of an hour. 
Another cook has forgotten to order the beef ; 
I must go and fetch it and be back in no time, 
or the mistress will scold ; and the housekeeper 
says they have company coming unexpectedly, 
and must have some chops sent up directly; 
and the lady at No. 4, in the Crescent, never 
orders her dinner till the meat comes in for 
lunch, and it’s nothing but hurry, hurry, all 
the time. If the gentry would think of what 
they want, and order their meat the day be- 
fore, there need not be this blow up!’’ 

“I wish to goodness they would, ’’ said the 
butcher; “ ’twould save me a wonderful deal 
of harass, a,nd I could suit my customers much 

better if I knew beforehand But, there! 

what’s the use of talking — who ever thinks of 
a butcher’s convenience or a butcher’s horse? 


244 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Now, then, take him in and look to him well; 
mind, he does not go out again to-day, and if 
anything else is wanted, you must carry it 
yourself in the basket.” With that he went in, 
and the horse was led away. 

But all boys are not cruel. I nave seen some 
as fond of their pony or donkey as if it had 
been a favorite dog, and the little creatures 
have worked away as cheerfully and willingly 
for their young drivers as I work for Jerry. 
It may be hard work sometimes, but a friend’s 
hand and voice make it easy. 

There was a young coster-boy who came up 
our street with greens and potatoes ; he had an 
old pony not very handsome, but the cheerful- 
lest and pluckiest little thing I ever saw, and 
to see how fond those two were of each other 
was a treat. The pony followed his master 
like a dog, and when he got into his cart, would 
trot off without a whip or a word, and rattle 
down the street as merrily as if he had come 
out of the Queen’s stables. Jerry liked the 
boy, and called him “Prince Charlie,” for he 
said he would make a king of drivers some 
day. 

There was an old man, too, who used to come 
up our street with a little coal cart ; he wore a 
coalheaver’s hat, and looked rough and black. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


245 


He and his old horse used to plod together 
along the street, like two good partners who 
understood each other; the horse would stop 
of his own accord at the doors where they took 
coal of him; he used to keep one ear bent 
toward his master. The old man’s cry could 
be heard up the street long before he came 
near. I never knew what he said, but the 
children called him “Old Ba-a-ar IIoo, ’’ for it 
sounded like that. Polly took her coal of him, 
and was very friendly, and Jerry said it was a 
comfort to think how happy an old horse might 
be in a poor place. 


246 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XLII. 

THE ELECTION. 

As we came into the yard one afternoon, 

Polly came out. “Jerry! I’ve had Mr. B 

here asking about your vote, and he wants to 
hire your cab for the election ; he will call for 
an answer.’’ 

“Well, Polly, you may say that my cab will 
be otherwise engaged. I should not like to 
have it pasted over with their great bills, and 
as to making Jack and Captain race about to 
the public-houses to bring up half-drunken 
voters, why, I think ’twould be an insult to the 
horses. No, I sha’n’t do it.’’ 

“I suppose you’ll vote for the gentleman? 
He said he was of your politics. ’’ 

“So he is in some things, but I shall not vote 
for him, Polly; you know what his trade is?’’ 

“Yes. ’’ 

“Well, a man who gets rich by that trade 
may be all very well in some ways, but he is 
blind as to what workingmen want; I could 
not in my conscience send him up to make the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


247 


laws. I dare say they’ll be angry, but every 
man must do what he thinks to be the best for 
his country. ’ ’ 

On the morning before the election, Jerry 
was putting me into the shafts, when Dolly 
came into the yard sobbing and crying, with 
her little blue frock and white pinafore spat- 
tered all over with mud. 

“Why, Dolly, what is the matter?” 

“Those naughty boys,” she sobbed, “have 
thrown the dirt all over me, and called me a 
little raga — raga ” 

“They called her a little ‘blue’ ragamuffin, 
father,” said Harry, who ran in looking very 
angry; “but I have given it to them; they 
won’t insult my sister again. I have given 
them a thrashing they will remember; a set 
of cowardly, rascally ‘orange’ blackguards!” 

Jerry kissed the child and said, “Run into 
mother, my pet, and tell her I think you had 
better stay at home to-day and help her.” 

Then turning gravely to Harry, — 

“My boy, I hope you will always defend 
your sister, and give anybody who insults her 
a good thrashing — that is as it should be ; but 
mind, I won’t have any election blackguarding 
on my premises. There are as many ‘blue’ 
blackguards as there are ‘orange’ and as many 


248 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


white as there are purple, or any other color, 
and I won’t have any of my family mixed up 
with it. Even women and children are ready 
to quarrel for the sake of a color, and not one 
in ten of them knows what it is about.” 

“Why, father, I thought blue was for Lib- 
erty.” 

“My boy, Liberty does not come from colors, 
they only show party, and all the liberty you 
can get out of them is, liberty to get drunk at 
other people’s expense, liberty to ride to the 
poll in a dirty old cab, liberty to abuse any one 
that does not wear your color, and to shout 
yourself hoarse, at what you only half-under- 
stand — that’s your liberty.” 

“Oh, father, you are laughing. ” 

“No, Harry, I am serious, and I am ashamed 
to see how men go on that ought to know bet- 
ter. An election is a very serious thing; at 
least it ought to be, and every man ought to 
vote according to his conscience, and let his 
neighbor do the same.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


249 


CHAPTER XLIII. 

A FRIEND IN NEED. 

At last came the election day ; there was no 
lack of work for Jerry and me. First came a 
stout puffy gentleman with a carpet bag; he 
wanted to go to the Bishopsgate Station ; then 
we were called by a party who wished to be 
taken to the Regent’s Park; and next we 
were wanted in a side-street where a timid, 
anxious old lady was waiting to be taken to the 
Bank ; there we had to stop to take her back 
again, and just as we had set her down, a red- 
faced gentleman, with a handful of papers, 
came running up out of breath, and before 
Jerry could get down, he had opened the door, 
popped himself in, and called out, “Bow 
Street Police Station, quick!’ 1 so off we went 
with him, and when after another turn or two 
we came back, there was no other cab on the 
stand. Jerry put on my nose- bag, for, as he 
said, “We must eat when we can on such 
days as these; so munch away, Jack, and make 
the best of your time, old boy. ’ ’ 


250 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


I found I had a good feed of crushed oats 
wetted up with a little bran ; this would be a 
treat any day, but very refreshing then. Jerry 
was so thoughtful and kind — what horse would 
not do his best for such a master? Then he 
took out one of Polly’s meat pies, and standing 
near me, he began to eat it. The streets were 
very full, and the cabs, with the candidates’s 
colors on them, were dashing about through 
the crowd as if life and limb were of no conse- 
quence ; we saw two people knocked down that 
day, and one was a woman. The horses were 
having a bad time of it, poor things! but the 
voters inside thought nothing of that ; many of 
them were half-drunk, hurrahing out of the 
cab windows if their own party came by. It 
was the first election I had seen, and I don’t 
want to be in another, though I have heard 
things are better now. 

Jerry and I had not eaten many mouthfuls 
before a poor young woman, carrying a heavy 
child, came along the street. She was looking 
this way, and that way, and seemed quite be- 
wildered. Presently she made her way up to 
Jerry and asked if he could tell her the way to 
St. Thomas’s Hospital, and how far it was to get 
there. She had come from the country that 
morning, she said, in market cart ; she did not 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


251 


know about the election, and was quite a 
stranger in London. She had got an order for 
the Hospital for her little boy. The child was 
crying with a feeble pining cry. 

“Poor little fellow!” she said, “he suffers a 
deal of pain; he is four years old, and can’t 
walk any more than a babjr; but the doctor 
said if I could get him into the Hospital, he 
might get well; pray, sir, how far is it? and 
which way is it?” 

“Why, missis,” said Jerry, “you can’t get 
there walking through crowds like this! why, 
it is three miles away, and that child is heavy. ” 

“Yes, bless him, he is; but I am strong, thank 
God, and if I knew the way I think I should 
get on somehow; please tell me the way.” 

“You can’t do it,” said Jerry; “you might 
be knocked down and the child be run over. 
Now look here, just get into this cab, and I’ll 
drive you safe to the Hospital. Don’t you see 
the rain is coming on?” 

“No, sir, no; I can’t do that, thank you, I 
have only just money enough to get back with. 
Please tell me the way.” 

“Look you here, missis,” said Jerry, “I’ve 
got a wife and dear children at home, and I 
know a father’s feelings; now get you into that 
cab, and I’ll take you there for nothing. I’d 


252 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


be ashamed of myself to let a woman and a 
sick child run a risk like that.” 

“Heaven bless you!” said the woman, and 
burst into tears. 

“There, there, cheer up, my dear, I’ll soon 
take you there; come, let me put you inside.” 

As Jerry went to open the door, two men, 
with colors in their hats and button-holes, ran 
up calling out “Cab!” 

“Engaged, ” cried Jerry; but one of the men 
pushing past the woman, sprang into the cab, 
followed by the other. Jerry looked as stern 
as a policeman. “This cab is already engaged, 
gentlemen, by that lady.” 

“Lady!” said one of them; “Oh! she can 
wait ; our business is very important ; besides 
we were in first, it is our right, and we shall 
stay in. ” 

A droll smile came over Jerry’s face as he 
shut the door upon them. “All right, gentle- 
men, pray stay in as long as it suits you; I can 
wait whilst you rest yourselves;” and turning 
his back upon them, he walked up to the young 
woman, who was standing near me. “They’ll 
soon be gone,” he said, laughing, “don’t 
trouble yourself, my dear. ’ ’ 

And they soon were gone, for when they 
understood Jerry’s dodge, they got out, calling 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


253 


him all sorts of bad names, and blustering 
about his number and getting a summons. 
After this little stoppage we were soon on our 
way to the Hospital, going as much as possible 
through by-streets. Jerry rang the great bell, 
and helped the young woman out. 

“Thank you a thousand times,” she said; “I 
could never have got here alone. ’ ’ 

“You’re kindly welcome, and I hope the 
dear child will soon be better.” 

He watched her go in at the door, and gently 
he said to himself, “Inasmuch as ye have done 
it to one of the least of these. ” Then he pat- 
ted my neck, which was always his way when 
anything pleased him. 

The rain was now coming down fast, and 
just as we were leaving the Hospital, the door 
opened again, and the porter called out, “Cab!” 
We stopped, and a lady came down the steps. 
Jerry seemed to know her at once; she put 
back her veil and said, “Barker! Jeremiah 
Barker! is it you? I am very glad to find you 
here ; you are just the friend I want, for it is 
very difficult to get a cab in this part of Lon- 
don to-day. ” 

“I shall be proud to serve you, ma’am. I 
am right glad I happened to be here ; where 
may I take you to, ma’am?” 


254 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“To the Paddington Station, and then if we 
are in good time, as I think we shall be, yon 
shall tell me all about Mary and the children.” 

We got to the station in good time, and, be- 
ing under shelter, the lady stood a good while 
talking to Jerry. I found she had been Polly’s 
mistress, and after many inquiries about her, 
she said, — 

“How do you find the cab work suit you in 
winter? I know Mary was rather anxious 
about you last year. ’ ’ 

“Yes, ma’am, she was; I had a bad cough 
that followed me up quite into the warm wea- 
ther, and when I am kept out late she does 
worry herself a good deal. You see, ma’am, 
it is all hours and all weathers, and that does 
try a man’s constitution; but I am getting on 
pretty well, and I should feel quite lost if I had 
not horses to look after. I was brought up to 
it, and I am afraid I should not do so well at 
anything else. ’ ’ 

“Well, Barker,” she said, “it would be a 
great pity that you should seriously risk your 
health in this work, not only for your own, but 
for Mary’s and the children’s sake: there are 
many places where good drivers or good 
grooms are wanted ; and if ever you think you 
ought to give up this cab work, let me know.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


255 


Then sending some kind messages to Mary, 
she put something into his hand, saying, 
“There is five shillings each for the two chil- 
dren ; Mary will know how to spend it. ’ ’ 

Jerry thanked her and seemed much pleased, 
and turning out of the station we at last 
reached home, and I, at least, was tired. 


256 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XLIV. 

OLD CAPTAIN AND HIS SUCCESSOR. 

Captain and I were great friends. He was a 
noble old fellow and was very good company. 
I never thought he would have to leave his 
home and go down the hill, but his turn came ; 
and this was how it happened. I was not 
there, but I heard all about it. 

He and Jerry had taken a party to the great 
railway station over London Bridge, and were 
coming back, somewhere between the Bridge 
and the Monument, when Jerry saw a brew- 
er’s empty dray coming along, drawn by two 
powerful horses. The drayman was lashing 
his horses with his heavy whip ; the dray was 
light, and they started off at furious rate ; the 
man had no control over them, and the street 
was full of traffic : one young girl was knocked 
down and run over, and the next moment they 
dashed up against our cab; both the wheels 
were torn off and the cab was thrown over. 
Captain was dragged down, the shafts splin- 
tered and one of them ran into his side. Jerry, 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


257 


too, was thrown, but was only bruised; no- 
body could tell how he escaped, he always said 
it was a miracle. When poor Captain was got 
up, he was found to be very much cut and 
knocked about. Jerry led him home gently, 
and a sad sight it was to see the blood soaking 
into his white coat, and dropping from his side 
and shoulder. The drayman was proved to be 
very drunk, and was fined, and the brewer had 
to pay damages to our master; but there was 
no one to pay damages to poor Captain. 

The farrier and Jerry did the best they could 
to ease his pain, and make him comfortable. 
The fly had to be mended, and for several days 
I did not go out, and Jerry earned nothing. 
The first time we went to the stand after the 
accident, the Governor came up to hear how 
Captain was. 

“He’ll never get over it,” said Jerry, “at 
least not for my work, so the farrier said this 
morning. He says he may do for carting, and 
that sort of work. It has put me out very 
much. Carting, indeed! I’ve seen what horses 
come to at that work round London. I only 
wish that all the drunkards could be put in a 
lunatic asylum, instead of being allowed to run 
foul of sober people. If they would break 
their own bones, and smash their own carts, 

17 Black Beauty 


258 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


and lame their own horses, that would be their 
own affair, and we might let them alone, but 
it seems to me that the innocent always suffer: 
and then they talk about compensation! You 
can’t make compensation; there’s all the 
trouble, and vexation, and loss of time, besides 
losing a good horse that’s like an old friend — 
it’s nonsense talking of compensation! If 
there’s one devil that I should like to see in 
the bottomless pit more than another, it’s the 
drink devil.” 

“I say, Jerry,” said the Governor, “you are 
treading pretty hard on my toes, you know ; 
I’m not so good as you are, more shame for 
me ; I wish I was. ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Jerry, “why don’t you cut with 
it, Governor? You are too good a man to be 
the slave of such a thing.” 

“I’m a great fool, Jerry, but I tried it once 
for two days, and I thought I should have died ; 
how did you do?” 

“I had hard work at it for several weeks; 
you see, I never did get drunk, but I found 
that I was not my own master, and that when 
the craving came on it was hard work to say, 
‘no.’ I saw that one of us must knock under, 
the drink devil or Jerry Barker, and I said that 
it should not be Jerry Barker, God helping 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


259 


me ; but it was a struggle, and I wanted all the 
help I could get, for till I tried to break the 
habit I did not know how strong it was; but 
then Polly took such pains that I should have 
good food, and when the craving came on I 
used to get a cup of coffee, or some pepper- 
mint, or read a bit in my book, and that was a 
help to me ; sometimes I had to say over and 
over to myself, ‘Give up the drink or lose your 
soul! Give up the drink or break Polly’s 
heart!’ But thanks be to God, and my dear 
wife, my chains were broken, and now for ten 
years I have not tasted a drop, and never wish 
for it.” 

‘‘I’ve a great mind to try at it,” said Grant, 
“for ’tis a poor thing not to be one’s own 
master. ’ ’ 

“Do, Governor, do, you’ll never repent it, 
and what a help it would be to some of the 
poor fellows in our rank if they saw you do 
without it. I know there is two or three would 
like to keep out of that tavern if they could.” 

At first Captain seemed to do well, but he 
was a very old horse, and it was only his won- 
derful constitution, and Jerry’s care, that had 
kept him up at the cab work so long; now he 
broke down very much. The farrier said he 
might mend up enough to sell for a few 


260 


BLACK BEAUTY 


pounds, but Jerry said, no! a few pounds got 
by selling a good old servant into hard work 
and misery would canker all the rest of his 
money, and he thought the kindest thing he 
could do for the fine old fellow would be to put 
a sure bullet through his head, and then he 
would never suffer more, for he did not know 
where to find a kind master for the rest of his 
days. 

The day after this was decided, Harry took 
me to the forge for some new shoes; when I 
returned, Captain was gone. I and the family 
all felt it very much. 

Jerry had now to look out for another horse, 
and he soon heard of one through an acquaint- 
ance who was under- groom in a nobleman’s 
stables. He was a valuable young horse, but 
he had run away, smashed into another car- 
riage, flung his lordship out, and so cut and 
blemished himself that he was no longer fit for 
a gentleman’s stables, and the coachman had 
orders to look round, and sell him as well as 
he could. 

“I can do with high spirits,” said Jerry, “if 
a horse is not vicious or hard-mouthed. ’ ’ 

“There is not a bit of vice in him,’’ said the 
man; “his mouth is very tender, and I think 
myself that was the cause of the accident; you 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


261 


see, he had just been clipped, and the weather 
was bad, and he had not had exercise enough, 
and when he did go out, he w r as as full of 
spring as a balloon. Our governor (the coach- 
man, I mean,) had him harnessed in as tight 
and strong as he could, with the martingale, 
and the check-rein, a very sharp curb, and the 
reins put in at the bottom bar. It is my belief 
that it made the horse mad, being tender in 
the mouth and so full of spirit. ’ ’ 

“Likely enough; I’ll come and see him,” 
said Jerry. 

The next day, Hotspur, that was his name, 
came home ; he was a fine brown horse, with- 
out a white hair in him, as tall as Captain, with 
a very handsome head, and only five years old. 
I gave him a friendly greeting by way of good 
fellowship, but did not ask him any questions. 
The first night he was very restless. * Instead 
of lying down, he kept jerking his halter rope 
up and down through the ring, and knocking 
the block about against the manger till I could 
not sleep. However, the next day, after five 
or six hours in the cab, he came in quiet and 
sensible. Jerry patted and talked to him a 
good deal, and very soon they understood each 
other, and Jerry said that with an easy bit and 
plenty of work he would be as gentle as a 


262 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


lamb ; and that it was an ill- wind that blew 
nobody good, for if his lordship had lost a hun- 
dred-guinea favorite, the cabman had gained a 
good horse with all his strength in him. 

Hotspur thought it a great come-down to be 
a cab-horse, and was disgusted at standing in 
the rank, but he confessed to me at the end of 
the week that an easy mouth and a free hand 
made up for a great deal, and, after all, the 
work was not so degrading as having one’s 
head and tail fastened to each other at the 
saddle. In fact, he settled in well, and Jerry 
liked him very much. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


263 


CHAPTER XLV. 
jerry’s new year. 

Christmas and the New Year are very merry 
times for some people; but for cabmen and 
cabmen’s horses it is no holiday, though it 
may be a harvest. There are so many parties, 
balls, and places of amusement open, that the 
work is hard and often late. Sometimes driver 
and horse have to wait for hours in the rain or 
frost, shivering with cold, whilst the merry 
people within are dancing away to the music. 
I wonder if the beautiful ladies ever think of 
the weary cabman waiting on his box, and his 
patient beast standing, till his legs get stiff 
with cold. 

I had now most of the evening work, as I 
was well accustomed to standing, and Jerry 
was also more afraid of Hotspur taking cold. 
We had a great deal of late work in the Christ- 
mas week, and Jerry’s cough was bad; but, 
however late we were, Polly sat up for him, 
and came out with a lantern to meet him, 
looking anxious and troubled. 


264 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


On the evening of the New Year, we had to 
take two gentlemen to a house in one of the 
West End squares. We set them down at 
nine o’clock, and were told to come again at 
eleven, “but,” said one of them, “as it is a 
card party, you may have to wait a few min- 
utes, but don’t be late.” 

As the clock struck eleven we were at the 
door, for Jerry was always punctual. The 
clock chimed the quarter, one, two, three, and 
then struck twelve, but the door did not open. 

The wind had been very changeable, with 
squalls of rain during the day, but now it came 
on sharp, driving sleet, which seemed to come 
all the way round ; it was very cold, and there 
was no shelter. Jerry got off his box and came 
and pulled one of my cloths a little more over 
my neck ; then he took a turn or two up and 
down, stamping his feet ; then he began to beat 
his arms, but that set him off coughing; so he 
opened the cab door and sat at the bottom with 
his feet on the pavement, and was a little shel- 
tered. Still the clock chimed the quarters, and 
no one came. At half-past twelve, he rang 
the bell and asked the servant if he would be 
wanted that night. 

“Oh, yes, you’ll be wanted safe enough,” 
said the man; “you must not go, it will soon 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


265 


be over,” and again Jerry sat down, but Iris 
voice was so hoarse I could hardly hear him. 

At a quarter-past one the door opened, and 
the two gentlemen came out; they got into the 
cab without a word, and told Jerry where to 
drive, that was nearly two miles. My legs 
were numb with cold, and I thought I should 
have stumbled. When the men got out, they 
never said they were sorry to have kept us 
waiting so long, but were angry at the charge ; 
however, as Jerry never charged more than 
was his due, so he never took less, and they 
had to pay for the two hours and a quarter 
waiting; but it was hard-earned money to 
Jerry. 

At last we got home ; he could hardly speak, 
and his cough was dreadful. Polly asked no 
questions, but opened the door and held the 
lantern for him. 

“Can’t I do something?” she said. 

“Yes; get Jack something warm, and then 
boil me some gruel.” 

This was said in a hoarse whisper ; he could 
hardly get his breath, but he gave me a rub 
down, as usual, and even went up into the 
hayloft for an extra bundle of straw for my 
bed. Polly brought me a warm mash that 


266 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


made me comfortable, and then they locked 
the door. 

It was late the next morning before any one 
came, and then it was only Harry. He cleaned 
us and fed us, and swept out the stalls, then 
he put the straw back again as if it was Sun- 
day. He was very still, and neither whistled 
nor sang. At noon he came again and gave 
us our food and water; this time Dolly came 
with him ; she was crying, and I could gather 
from what they said that Jerry was danger- 
ously ill, and the doctor said it was a bad case. 
So two days passed, and there was great 
trouble indoors. We only saw Harry, and 
sometimes Dolly. I think she came for com- 
pany, for Polly was always with Jerry, and he 
had to be kept very quiet. 

On the third day, whilst Harry was in the 
stable, a rap came at the door, and Governor 
Grant came in. 

“I wouldn’t go to the house, my boy,” he 
said, “but I want to know how your father is.” 

“He is very bad,” said Harry, “he can’t be 
much worse; they call it ‘bronchitis;’ the doc- 
tor thinks it will turn one way or another to- 
night.” 

“That’s bad, very bad,” said Grant, 
shaking his head ; I know two men who died 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


267 


of that last week; it takes ’em off in no time;: 
but whilst there’s life there’s hope, so you 
must keep up your spirits. ” 

“Yes,” said Harry quickly, “and the doctor 
says that father had a better chance than most 
men, because he didn’t drink. He said yes- 
terday the fever was so high, that if father had 
been a drinking man it would have burnt him 
up like a piece of paper; but I believe he 
thinks he will get over it; don’t you think he 
will, Mr. Grant?” 

The Governor looked puzzled. 

“If there’s any rule that good men should 
get over these things, I am sure he will, my 
boy; he’s the best man I know. I’ll look in 
early to-morrow.” 

Early next morning he was there. 

“Well?” said he. 

“Father is better,” said Harry. “Mother 
hopes he will get over it. ’ ’ 

“Thank God!” said the Governor, “and now 
you must keep him warm, and keep his mind 
easy, and that brings me to the horses; you 
see, Jack will be all the better for the rest of 
a week or two in a warm stable, and you can 
easily take him a turn up and down the street 
to stretch his legs ; but this young one, if he 
does not get work, he will soon be all up on 


268 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


end, as you may say, and will be rather too 
much for you; and when he does go out, 
there’ll be an accident.” 

“It is like that now,” said Harry. “I have 
kept him short of corn, but he’s so full of spirit 
I don’t know what to do with him. ” 

“Just so,” said Grant. “Now, look here, 
will you tell your mother that if she is agree- 
able, I will come for him every day till some- 
thing is arranged, and take him for a good 
spell of work, and whatever he earns, I’ll bring 
your mother half of it, and that will help with 
the horses’ feed. Your father is in a good 
club, I know, but that won’t keep the horses, 
and they’ll be eating their heads off all this 
time; I’ll come at noon and hear what she 
says,” and without waiting for Harry’s thanks, 
he was gone. 

At noon I think he went and saw Polly, for 
he and Harry came to the stable together, har- 
nessed Hotspur, and took him out. 

For a week or more he came for Hotspur and 
when Harry thanked him or said anything 
about his kindness, he laughed it off, saying it 
was all good luck for him, for his horses were 
wanting a little rest which they would not 
otherwise have had. 

Jerry grew better steadily, but the doctor 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


269 


said that he must never go back to the cab 
work again if he wished to be an old man. 
The children had many consultations together 
about what father and mother would do, and 
how they could help to earn money. 

One afternoon Hotspur was brought in very 
wet and dirty. 

“The streets are nothing but slush,” said 
the Governor; “it will give you a good warm- 
ing, my boy, to get him clean dry.” 

“All right, Governor,” said Harry, “I shall 
not leave him till he is; you know I have been 
trained by my father. ” 

“I wish all the boys had been trained like 
you, ’ ’ said the Governor. 

While Harry was sponging off the mud from 
Hotspur’s body and legs, Dolly came in, look- 
ing very full of something. 

“Who lives at Fairstowe, Harry? Mother 
has got a letter from Fairstowe; she seemed 
so glad, and ran upstairs to father with it. ’ ’ 

“Don’t you know? Why, it is the name of 
Mrs. Fowler’s place — mother’s old mistress, 
you know — the lady that father met last sum- 
mer, who sent you and me five shillings each. 

“Oh! Mrs. Fowler; of course I know all 
about her; I wonder what she is writing to 
mother about. ” 


270 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


“Mother wrote to her last week,” said 
Harry; “you know she told father if ever he 
gave up the cab work, she would like to know. 

I wonder what she says; run in and see, 
Dolly.” 

Harry scrubbed away at Hotspur with a 
huish! huish! like any old ostler. In a few 
minutes Dolly came dancing into the stable. 

“Oh! Harry, there never was anything so 
beautiful ; Mrs. Fowler says we are all to go 
and live near her. There is a cottage now 
empty that will just suit us, with a garden, 
and a hen-house, and apple-trees, and every- 
thing ! and the coachman is going away in the 
spring, and then she will want father in his 
place; and there are good families round, 
where you can get a place in the garden, or the 
stable, or as a page boy; and there’s a good 
school for me ; and mother is laughing and cry- 
ing by turns, and father does look so happy!” 

“That’s uncommon jolly, ” said Harry, “and 
just the right thing, I should say; it will suit 
father and mother both; but I don’t intend to 
be a page boy with tight clothes and rows of 
buttons. I’ll be a groom or a gardener. ” 

It was quickly settled that as soon as Jerry 
was well enough, they should remove to the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


271 


country, and that the cab and horses should be 
sold as soon as possible. 

This was heavy news for me, for I was not 
young now, and could not look for any improve- 
ment in my condition. Since I left Birtwick 
I had never been so happy as with my dear 
master Jerry; but three years of cab work, 
even under the best conditions, will tell on 
one’s strength, and I felt that I was not the 
horse that I had been. 

Grant said at once that he would take Hot- 
spur; and there were men on the stand who 
would have bought me ; but Jerry said I should 
not go to cab work again with just anybody, 
and the Governor promised to find a place for 
me where I should be comfortable. 

The day came for going away. Jerry had 
not been allowed to go out yet, and I never saw 
him after that New Year’s eve. Polly and 
the children came to bid me good-bye. “Poor 
old Jack! dear old Jack! I wish we could take 
you with us, ’ ’ she said, and then laying her 
hand on my mane, she put her face close to 
my neck and kissed me. Dolly was crying and 
kissed me too. Harry stroked me a great 
deal, but said nothing, only he seemed very 
sad, and so I was led away to my new place. 


272 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


Part IV. 


CHAPTER XLVI. 

JAKES AND THE LADY. 

I was sold to a corn dealer and baker, whom 
Jerry knew, and with him he thought I should 
have good food and fair work. In the first he 
was quite right, and if my master had always 
been on the premises, I do not think I should 
have been overloaded, but there was a foreman 
who was always hurrying and driving every 
one, and frequently when I had quite a full 
load, he would order something else to be 
taken on. My carter, whose name was Jakes, 
often said it was more than I ought to take, 
but the other always overruled him. “ ’Twas 
no use going twice when once would do, and 
he chose to get business forward. ’ ’ 

Jakes, like the other carters, always had the 
check-rein up, which prevented me from draw- 
ing easily, and by the time I had been there 


BLACK. BEAUTY. 


273 


three or four months, I found the work telling 
very much on my strength. 

One day, I was loaded more than usual, and 
part of the road was a steep uphill. I used 
all my strength, but I could not get on, and 
was obliged continually to stop. This did not 
please my driver, and he laid his whip on 
badly. “Get on, you lazy fellow," he said, 
“or I’ll make you. " 

Again I started the heavy load, and strug- 
gled on a few yards; again the whip came 
down, and again I struggled forward. The 
pain of that great cart whip was sharp, but my 
mind was hurt quite as much as my poor sides. 
To be punished and abused when I was doing 
my very best was so hard it took the heart out 
of me. A third time he was flogging me 
cruelly when a lady stepped quickly up to him, 
and said in a sweet, earnest voice, — 

“Oh! pray do not whip your good horse any 
more ; I am sure he is doing all he can, and the 
Toad is very steep ; I am sure he is doing his 
best." 

“If doing his best won’t get this load up, he 
must do something more than his best; that’s 
all I know, ma’am," said Jakes. 

“But is it not a heavy load?" she said. 

“Yes, yes, too heavy," he said; “but that’s 

18 Black Beauty 


274 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


not my fault; the foreman came just as we 
were starting, and would have three hundred- 
weight more put on to save him trouble, and I 
must get on with it as well as I can. ’ ’ 

He was raising the whip again, when the 
lady said, — 

‘ ‘ Pray, stop ; I think I can help you if you 
will let me.” 

The man laughed . 

“You see," she said, “you do not give him 
a fair chance; he cannot use all his power 
with his head held back as it is with that check- 
rein ; if you would take it off, I am sure he 
would do better — do try it, * * she said, persua- 
sively, “I should be very glad if you would.” 

“Well, well,” said Jakes, with a short laugh, 
“anything to please a lady, of course. How 
far would you wish it down, ma’am?” 

“Quite down, give him his head altogether.” 

The rein was taken off, and in a moment I 
put my head down to my very knees. What a 
comfort it was! Then I tossed it up and down 
several times to get the aching stiffness out of 
my neck. 

4 ‘ Poor fellow ! that is what you wanted, ’ ’ said 
she, patting and stroking me with her gentle 
hand; “and now if you will speak kindly to 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


275 


him and lead him on, I believe he will be 
able to do better. ’ ’ 

Jakes took the rein. “Come on, Blackie. ” 
I put down my head, and threw my whole 
weight against the collar; I spared no 
strength ; the load moved on, and I pulled it 
steadily up the hill, and then stopped to take 
breath. 

The lady had walked along the footpath, 
and now came across into the road. She 
stroked and patted my neck, as I had not been 
patted for many a long day. 

“You see he was quite willing when you 
gave him the chance ; I am sure he is a fine- 
tempered creature, and I dare say has known 
better days. You won’t put that rein on again, 
will you?’’ for he was just going to hitch it up 
on the old plan. 

“Well, ma’am, I can’t deny that having his 
head has helped him up the hill, and I’ll re- 
member it another time, and thank you, 
ma’am; but if he went without a check-rein, 
I should be the laughing-stock of all the cart- 
ers; it is the fashion, you see.” 

“Is it not better,” she said, “to lead a good 
fashion than to follow a bad one? A great 
many gentlemen do not use check-reins now; 
our carriage horses have not worn them for 


276 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


fifteen years, and work with much less fatigue 
than those who have them; besides,” she 
added in a very serious voice, “we have no 
right to distress any of God’s creatures with- 
out a very good reason ; we call them dumb 
animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell 
us how they feel, but they do not suffer less 
because they have no words. But I must not 
detain you now ; I thank you for trying my 
plan with your good horse, and I am sure you 
will find it far better than the whip. Good- 
day,” and with another soft pat on my neck 
she stepped lightly across the path, and I saw 
her no more. 

“That was a real lady, I’ll be bound for it,” 
said Jakes to himself ; “she spoke just as polite 
as if I was a gentleman, and I’ll try her plan, 
uphill, at any rate;” and I must do him the 
justice to say, that he let my rein out several 
holes, and going uphill after that, he always 
gave me my head ; but the heavy loads went 
on. Good feed and fair rest will keep up one’s 
strength under full work, but no horse can 
stand against overloading ; and I was getting 
so thoroughly pulled down from this cause, 
that a younger horse was bought in my place. 
I may as well mention here, what I suffered at 
this time from another cause. I had heard 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


277 


horses speak of it, but had never myself had 
experience of the evil ; this was a badly-lighted 
stable ; there was only one very small window 
at the end, and the consequence was that the 
stalls were almost dark. 

Besides the depressing effect this had on my 
spirits, it very much weakened my sight, and 
when I was suddenly brought out of the dark- 
ness into the glare of daylight, it was very 
painful to my eyes. Several times I stumbled 
over the threshold, and could scarcely see 
where I was going. 

I believe, had I stayed there very long, I 
should have become purblind, and that would 
have been a great misfortune, for I have heard 
men say, that a stone-blind horse was safer to 
drive than one which had imperfect sight, as 
it generally makes them very timid. How- 
ever, I escaped without any permanent injury 
to my sight, and was sold to a large cab owner. 


19 Black Beauty 


278 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


CHAPTER XLVII. 

HARD TIMES. 

I shall never forget my new master; he had 
black eyes and a hooked nose, his month was 
as full of teeth as a bull-dog’s, and his voice 
was as harsh as the grinding of cart wheels 
over gravel stones. His name was Nicholas 
Skinner, and I believe he was the same man 
that poor Seedy Sam drove for. 

I have heard men say, that seeing is believ- 
ing ; but I should say, that feeling is believing ; 
for much as I had seen before, I never knew 
until now the utter misery of a cab-horse’s life. 

Skinner had a low set of cabs and a low set 
of drivers; he was hard on the men, and the 
men were hard on the horses. In this place 
we had no Sunday rest, and it was in the heat 
of summer. 

Sometimes on a Sunday morning, a party of 
fast men would hire the cab for the day ; four 
of them inside and another with the driver, 
and I had to take them ten or fifteen miles out 
into the country, and back again ; never would 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


279 


any of them get down to walk up a hill, let it 
be ever so steep, or the day ever so hot — un- 
less, indeed, when the driver was afraid I 
should not manage it, and sometimes I was so 
fevered and worn that I could hardly touch my 
food. How I used to long for the nice bran 
mash with niter in it that Jerry used to give 
us on Saturday nights in hot weather, that 
used to cool us down and make us so comfort- 
able. Then we had two nights and a whole 
day for unbroken rest, and on Monday morn- 
ing we were as fresh as young horses again ; 
but here there was no rest, and my driver was 
just as hard as his master. He had a cruel 
whip with something so sharp at the end that 
it sometimes drew blood, and he would even 
whip me under the belly, and flip the lash out 
at my head. Indignities like these took the 
heart out of me terribly, but still I did my best 
and never hung back; for, as poor Ginger 
said, it was no use ; men are the strongest. 

My life was now so utterly wretched that I 
wished I might, like Ginger, drop down dead 
at my work, and be out of my misery, and one 
day my wish very nearly came to pass. 

I went on the stand at eight in the morning, 
and had done a good share of work, when we 
had to take a fare to the railway. A long 


280 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


train was just expected in, so my driver pulled 
up at the back of some of the outside cabs, to 
take the chance of a return fare. It was a 
very heavy train, and as all the cabs were soon 
engaged, ours was called for. There was a 
party of four; a noisy, blustering man with a 
lady, a little boy, and a young girl, and a great 
deal of luggage. The lady and the boy got 
into the cab, and while the man ordered about 
the luggage, the young girl came and looked 
at me. 

“Papa,” she said, “I am sure this poor horse 
cannot take us and all our luggage so far, he 
is so very weak and worn up ; do look at him. ’ ’ 

“Oh! he’s all right, miss,” said my driver, 
“he’s strong enough.” 

The porter, who was pulling about some 
heavy boxes, suggested to the gentleman, as 
there was so much luggage, whether he would 
not take a second cab. 

“Can your horse do it, or can’t he?” said the 
blustering man. 

“Oh! he can do it all right, sir; send up 
the bones, porter; he could take more than 
that,” and he helped to haul up a box so 
heavy that I could feel the springs go down. 

“Papa, papa, do take a second cab,” said the 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


281 


young girl in a beseeching tone; “lam sure 
we are wrong, I am sure it is very cruel.” 

“Nonsense, Grace, get in at once, and don’t 
make all this fuss; a pretty thing it would be 
if a man of business had to examine every 
cab-horse before he hired it — the man knows 
his own business, of course ; there, get in and 
hold your tongue!” 

My gentle friend had to obey ; and box after 
box was dragged up and lodged on the top of 
the cab, or settled by the side of the driver. 
At last all was ready, and with his usual jerk 
at the rein, and slash of the whip, he drove out 
of the station. 

The load was very heavy, and I had had 
neither food nor rest since morning ; but I did 
my best, as I always had done, in spite of 
cruelty and injustice. 

I got along fairly till we came to Ludgate 
Hill, but there, the heavy load and my own 
exhaustion were too much. I was struggling 
to keep on, goaded by constant chucks of the 
rein and use of the whip, when, in a single 
moment — I cannot tell how — my feet slipped 
from under me, and I fell heavily to the ground 
on my side; the suddenness and the force 
with which I fell seemed to beat all the breath 
out of my body. I lay perfectly still ; indeed, 


282 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


I had no power to move, and I thought now I 
was going to die. I heard a sort of confusion 
round me, loud angry voices, and the getting 
down of the luggage, but it was all like a 
dream. I thought I heard that sweet pitiful 
voice saying, “Oh! that poor horse! it is all 
our fault. ’ ’ Some one came and loosened the 
throat strap of my bridle, and undid the traces 
which kept the collar so tight upon me. Some 
one said, “He’s dead, he’ll never get up 
again.’’ Then I could hear a policeman giv- 
ing orders, but I did not even open my eyes; 
I could only draw a gasping breath now and 
then. Some cold water was thrown over my 
head, and some cordial was poured into my 
mouth, and something was covered over me. 
I cannot tell how long I lay there, but I found 
my life coming back, and a kind-voiced man 
was patting me and encouraging me to rise. 
After some more cordial had been given me, 
and after one or two attempts, I staggered to 
my feet, and was gently led to some stables 
which were close by. Here I was put into a 
well-littered stall, and some warm gruel was 
brought to me, which I drank thankfully. 

In the evening I was sufficiently recovered 
to be led back to Skinner’s stables, where I 
think they did the best for me they could. In 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


283 


the morning Skinner came with a farrier to 
look at me. He examined me very closely, 
and said, — 

“This is a case of overwork more than dis- 
ease, and if you could give him a run off for 
six months, he would be able to work again; 
but now there is not an ounce of strength in 
him.” 

“Then he must just go to the dogs,” said 
Skinner. “I have no meadows to nurse sick 
horses in — he might get well or he might not ; 
that sort of thing don’t suit my business, my 
plan is to work ’em as long as they’ll go, and 
then sell ’em for what they’ll fetch, at the 
knacker’s or elsewhere.” 

“If he was broken- winded, ” said the farrier, 
“you had better have him killed out of hand, 
but he is not ; there is a sale of horses coming 
off in about ten days ; if you rest him and feed 
him up, he may pick up, and you may get 
more than his skin is worth, at any rate. ’ ’ 

Upon this advice, Skinner, rather unwill- 
ingly, I think, gave orders that I should be 
well fed and cared for, and the stableman, 
happily for me, carried out the orders with a 
much better will than his master had in giving 
them. Ten days of perfect rest, plenty of 
good oats, hay, bran mashes, with boiled lin- 


284 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


seed mixed in them, did more to get up my 
condition than anything else could have done; 
those linseed mashes were delicious, and I be- 
gan to think, after all, it might be better to 
live than to go to the dogs. When the twelfth 
day after the accident came, I was taken to 
the sale, a few miles out of London. I felt 
that any change from my present place must 
be an improvement, so I held up my head and 
hoped for the best. 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


285 


CHAPTER XLVIII. 

FARMER THOROUGHGOOD AND HIS GRANDSON 
WILLIE. 

At this sale, of course, I found myself in 
company with the old broken-down horses — 
some lame, some broken-winded, some old, 
and some that I am sure it would have been 
merciful to shoot. 

The buyers and sellers, too, many of them, 
looked not much better off than the poor 
beasts they were bargaining about. There 
were poor old men, trying to get a horse or 
pony for a few pounds, that might drag about 
some little wood or coal cart. There were 
poor men trying to sell a worn-out beast for 
two or three pounds, rather than have the 
greater loss of killing him. Some of them 
looked as if poverty and hard times had hard- 
ened them all over; but there were others that 
I would have “willingly used the last of my 
strength in serving; poor and shabby, but 
kind and humane, with voices that I could 
trust. There was one tottering old man that 


286 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


took a great fancy to me, and I to him, but I 
was not strong enough — it was an anxious 
time! Coming from the better part of the 
fair, I noticed a man who looked like a gentle- 
man farmer, with a young boy by his side ; he 
had a broad back and round shoulders, a kind, 
ruddy face, and he wore a broad-brimmed hat. 
When he came up to me and my companions, 
he stood still, and gave a pitiful look round 
upon us. I saw his eye rest on me ; I had still 
a good mane and tail, which did something for 
my appearance. I pricked my ears and looked 
at him. 

“There’s a horse, Willie, that has known 
better days. ’ ’ 

“Poor old fellow!” said the boy, “do you 
think, grandpapa, he was ever a carriage 
horse?” 

“Oh, yes! my boy,” said the farmer, coming 
closer, “hb might have been anything when 
he was young; look at his nostrils and his 
ears, the shape of his neck and shoulder; 
there’s a deal of breeding about that horse.” 
He put out his hand and gave me a kind pat 
on the neck. I put out my nose in answer to 
his kindness ; the boy stroked my face. 

“Poor old fellow! see, grandpapa, how well 
he understands kindness. Could not you buy 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


287 


him and make him young again as you did 
with Ladybird?” 

“My dear boy, I can’t make all old horses 
young; besides, Ladybird was not so very old, 
as she was run down and badly used.” 

“Well, grandpapa, I don’t believe that this 
one is old ; look at his mane and tail. I wish 
you would look into his mouth, and then you 
could tell ; though he is so very thin, his eyes 
are not sunk like some old horses’.” 

The old gentleman laughed. ‘ ‘ Bless the boy ! 
he is as horsey as his old grandfather.” 

“But do look at his mouth, grandpapa, and 
ask the price ; I am sure he would grow young 
in our meadows.” 

The man who had brought me for sale now 
put in his word. 

“The young gentleman’s a real knowing 
one, sir. Now, the fact is, this ’ere hoss is 
just pulled down with over- work in the cabs; 
he’s not an old one, and I heard as how the 
vetenary should say, that a six months’ run off 
would set him right up, being as how his wind 
was not broken. I’ve had the tending of him 
these ten days past, and a gratefuller, pleas- 
anter animal I never met with, and ’twould be 
worth a gentleman’s while to give a five- pound 
note for him, and let him have a chance. I’ll 


288 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


be bound he’d be worth twenty pounds next 
spring. ” 

The old gentleman laughed, and the little 
boy looked up eagerly. 

“O, grandpapa, did you not say the colt sold 
for five pounds more than you expected? You 
would not be poorer if you did buy this one. ’ ’ 

The farmer slowly felt my legs, which were 
much swelled and strained ; then he looked at 
my mouth. “Thirteen or fourteen, I should 
say; just trot him out, will you?” 

I arched my poor thin neck, raised my tail a 
little and threw out my legs as well as I could, 
for they were very stiff. 

“What is the lowest you will take for him?” 
said the farmer as I came back. 

“Five pounds, sir; that was the lowest price 
my master set. ” 

“ ’Tis a speculation,” said the old gentle- 
man, shaking his head, but at the same time 
slowly drawing out his purse, “quite a specu- 
lation! Have you any more business here?” 
he said, counting the sovereigns into his hand. 

“No, sir, I can take him for you to the inn, 
if you please. ” 

“Do so, I am now going there.’ 

They walked forward, and I was led behind. 
The boy could hardly control his delight, and 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


289 


the old gentleman seemed to enjoy his pleas- 
ure. I had a good feed at the inn, and was 
then gently ridden home by a servant of my 
new master’s, and turned into a large meadow 
with a shed in one corner of it. 

Mr. Thoroughgood, for that was the name of 
my benefactor, gave orders that I should have 
hay and oats every night and morning, and the 
run of the meadow during the day, and, “you, 
Willie,” said he, “must take the oversight of 
him; I give him in charge to you.” 

The boy was proud of his charge, and under- 
took it in all seriousness. There was not a 
day when he did not pay me a visit; some- 
times picking me out from amongst the other 
horses, and giving me a bit of carrot, or some- 
thing good, or sometimes standing by me 
whilst I ate my oats. He always came with 
kind words and caresses, and, of course, I 
grew very fond of him. He called me Old 
Crony, as I used to come to him in the field 
and follow him about. Sometimes he brought 
his grandfather, who always looked closely at 
my legs. 

“This is our point, Willie, ” he would say ; 
“but he is improving so steadily that I think 
we shall see a change for the better in the 
spring. ” 


290 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


The perfect rest, the good food, the soft 
turf, and gentle exercise, soon began to tell 
on my condition and my spirits. I had a good 
constitution from my mother, and I was never 
strained when I was young, so that I had a 
better chance than many horses, who have 
been worked before they came to their full 
strength. During the winter my legs improved 
so much that I began to feel quite young 
again. The spring came round, and one day 
in March, Mr. Thoroughgood determined that 
he would try me in the phaeton. I was well 
pleased, and he and Willie drove me a few 
miles. My legs were not stiff now, and I did 
the work with perfect ease. 

“He’s growing young, Willie; we must give 
him a little gentle work now, and by midsum- 
mer he will be as good as Ladybird. He has 
a beautiful mouth and good paces; they can’t 
be better. ’’ 

“O, grandpapa, how glad I am you bought 
him!’’ 

“So am I, my boy; but he has to thank you 
more than me; we must now be looking out 
for a quiet, gentile place for him, where he 
will be valued. ” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


291 


CHAPTER XLIX. 

MY LAST HOME. 

One day, during this summer, the groom 
cleaned and dressed me with such extraordi- 
nary care that I thought some new change 
must be at hand ; he trimmed my fetlocks and 
legs, passed the tarbrush over my hoofs, and 
even parted my forelock. I think the harness 
had an extra polish. Willie seemed half-anx- 
ious, half-merry, as he got into the chaise with 
his grandfather. 

“If the ladies take to him,” said the old gen- 
tleman, “they’ll be suited and he’ll be suited; 
we can but try. ’ ’ 

At the distance of a mile or two from the vil- 
lage, we came to a pretty, low house, with a 
lawn and shrubbery at the front, and a drive 
up to the door. Willie rang the bell, and 
asked if Miss Blomefield or Miss Ellen was at 
home. Yes, they were. So, whilst Willie 
stayed with me, Mr. Thoroughgood went into 
the house. In about ten minutes he returned, 
followed by three ladies; one tall, pale lady, 


292 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


wrapped in a white shawl, leaned on a younger 
lady, with dark eyes and a merry face; the 
other, a very stately-looking person, was Miss 
Blomefield. They all came and looked at me 
and asked questions. The younger lady — that 
was Miss Ellen — took to me very much ; she 
said she was sure she should like me, I had 
such a good face. The tall, pale lady said that 
^she should always be nervous in riding behind 
a horse that had once been down, as I might 
come down again, and if I did she should 
never get over the fright. 

“You see, ladies,” said Mr. Thorough good, 
“many first-rate horses have had their knees 
broken through the carelessness of their driv- 
ers, without any fault of their own, and from 
what I see of this horse, I should say that is 
his case ; but, of course, I do not wish to influ- 
ence you. If you incline, you can have him 
on trial, and then your coachman will see what 
he thinks of him. ” 

“You have always been such a good adviser 
to us about our horses,” said the stately lady, 
“that your recommendation would go a long 
way with me, and if my sister Lavinia sees no 
objection, we will accept your offer of a trial, 
with thanks.” 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


293 


It was then arranged that I should be sent 
for the next day. 

In the morning a smart-looking young man 
came for me; at first, he looked pleased; but 
when he saw my knees, he said in a disap- 
pointed voice, — 

“I didn’t think, sir, you would have recom- 
mended my ladies a blemished horse like that. ” 

“ ‘Handsome is that handsome does,’ ” said 
my master; “you are only taking him on trial, 
and I am sure you will do fairly by him, 
young man ; if he is not as safe as any horse 
you ever drove, send him back.’’ 

I was led to my new home, placed in a com- 
fortable stable, fed, and left to myself. The 
next day, when my groom was cleaning my 
face, he said, — 

“That is just like the star that ‘Black 
Beauty’ had, he is much the same height, too; 
I wonder where he is now. ’ ’ 

A little further on, he came to the place in 
my neck where I was bled, and where a little 
knot was left in the skin. He almost started, 
and began to look me over carefully, talking 
to himself. 

“White star in the forehead, one white foot 
on the off side, this little knot just in that 
place;’’ then looking at the middle of my 


294 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


back — “and as I am alive, there is that little 
patch of white hair that John used to call 
‘Beauty’s threepenny bit.’ It must be ‘Black 
Beauty!’ Why, Beauty! Beauty! do you know 
me? little Joe Green, that almost killed you?” 
And he began patting and patting me as if he 
was quite overjoyed. 

I could not say that I remembered him, for 
now he was a fine grown young fellow, with 
black whiskers, and a man’s voice, but I was 
sure he knew me, and that he was Joe Green, 
and I was very glad. I put my nose up to 
him, and tried to say that we were friends. I 
never saw a man so pleased. 

“Give you a fair trial! I should think so, 
indeed! I wonder who the rascal was that 
broke your knees, my old Beauty! you must 
have been badly served out somewhere ; well, 
well, it won’t be my fault if you haven’t good 
times of it now. I wish John Manly was here 
to see you.’’ 

In the afternoon I was put into a low Park 
chair and brought to the door. Miss Ellen 
was going to try me, and Green went with 
her. I soon found that she was a good driver, 
and she seemed pleased with my paces. I 
heard Joe telling her about me, and that he 


BLACK BEAUTY. 


295 


was sure I was Squire Gordon’s old “Black 
Beauty. ’ ’ 

When we returned, the other sisters came 
out to hear how I had behaved myself. She 
told them what she had just heard, and said, — 

“I shall certainly write to Mrs. Gordon, and 
tell her that her favorite horse has come to us. 
How pleased she will be!” 

After this I was driven every day for a week 
or so, and as I appeared to be quite safe, Miss 
Lavinia at last ventured out in the small close 
carriage. After this it was quite decided to 
keep me and call me by my old name of “Black 
Beauty. M 

I have now lived in this happy place a whole 
year. 


THE END. 


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